The chase is on to recapture Eren and Historia. Emotions clash as former friends and allies confront each other and things get even more harrowing when Erwin arrives with a horde of Titans at his back. As the battle rages tough choices are made, more lives are lost, and Eren and Mikasa encounter a face from their past they hoped to never see again.
Tropes:
- An Arm and a Leg: Erwin loses his arm to a Titan's bite. It doesn't seem to have slowed him down for long.
- Big Damn Heroes:
- When Mikasa gets grabbed by a Titan and almost squashed to death Jean arrives and slashes its eyes out saving her.
- After Armin manages to distract Bertolt enough, and make him drop his guard, Erwin arrives and slashes Bertolt across the chest, freeing Eren from the Titan Duo's clutches.
- When Ymir gets pinned by a larger Titan, Historia saves her by killing it.
- Blatant Lies:
- When Ymir explains her reasoning for capturing Historia she says that originally she got close to her because she knew that the other warriors would eventually find her and she wanted a bargaining chip. Ymir also says that, if she turns Historia over to the warriors, her own life will be spared. However Ymir's reasoning doesn't really gel with what we learned about her backstory last episode (specifically that she didn't even know that she ate Marcel) and the fact that Reiner admitted to Ymir that her own survival is uncertain. Connie even points this out to Historia by telling her that, the person who would jump into the fray to save her from a Titan horde, wouldn't just suddenly go turncoat to save her own life.
- Armin's taunt to Bertolt about Annie being tortured is this as the last time he saw her she had encased herself in an impenetrable armoured crystal. Although the point of the taunt is to get Bertolt angry and drop his guard which works.
- The Bus Came Back: The Smiling Titan that devoured Eren's mother returns.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: Discussed. Armin bluffs that Annie's being tortured non-stop to get information out of her (and just because), which horrifies Bertolt and Reiner (and especially enrages the former).
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends with Eren and Mikasa knocked off their horse and confronted by the Titan that ate their mother.
- Death Glare: Bertholt ends up on the receiving end of a truly epic look
◊ of withering Tranquil Fury, courtesy of Mikasa. - Determinator: Erwin Smith proves himself to be a force to be reckoned with on that battlefield as, even after a Titan bites his arm and drags him across the battlefield, he still has the presence of mind to tell his soldiers to advance in spite of how much pain he was no doubt under. And then afterwards, after losing his arm, he can still sneak attack an unsuspecting Bertolt and save Eren's life from the traitors.
- Failed a Spot Check: During the Titan melee, a few Military Policemen are some distance ahead on a hill and make comments about how crazy the Survey Corps is. While they do that, they don't notice a rather sizable Titan until it comes up in front of one of them and eats him.
- Foe-Tossing Charge: When Erwin arrives with a horde of Titans at his back Reiner tries to shoulder check them in order to get past. While he does manage to succeed in knocking away a few eventually the shear number of Titans get the better of him and he is forced to defend himself.
- Four-Star Badass: Erwin demonstrates that he's not in charge of the Survey Corps solely for his strategic mind. He boldly commands his forces forward as he's actively being maimed by a Titan and more impressively rescues Eren and escapes with both their lives with one arm.
- Frontline General: Commander Erwin personally marshals his forces in a suicide charge to rescue Eren.
- Grievous Harm with a Body: After the Survey Corp's manage to succeed in rescuing Eren, Reiner decides to block their escape by throwing titans at them.
- Heel–Face Revolving Door: Even though Ymir agreed to help Reiner and Bertolt out last episode, and even lied to Historia about her kidnapping her so that she could live, once Historia tells her that she will always be on her side Ymir seems to hesitate on her loyalties. The rest of the episode she remains mostly on the sidelines only acting when Historia herself is in danger.
- Hope Spot: The Survey Corps have managed to rescue Eren and Historia from the warriors clutches while they are overwhelmed by the Titan horde and thus can make their escape...when suddenly Reiner starts flinging Titan's at them to block their way. Then Mikasa and Eren get knocked off their horse. Then the smiling Titan shows up.
- In Love with the Mark: Ymir admits that, after eating Marcel, she knew that the other Shifters would come after her and tracked Historia down to use as a bargaining chip. Considering Ymir's past that was revealed last episode how much of this is true is uncertain (especially since she couldn't even remember eating Marcel) but whatever's the case she eventually did fall in love with Historia and all of her actions in the present day are to help her one way or another.
- Leeroy Jenkins: This trait of Mikasa's ends up deconstructed this episode as her desire to rescue Eren from Bertolt causes her to attack the Shifter in a frontal offensive that he is able to dodge. Then she gets caught by a mindless Titan because she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings and would have gotten squeezed to death if not for Jean's assistance.
- Manipulative Bastard: Armin gets a chance to really show off his guile side when he uses Bertolt's feelings for Annie against him by pretending that she is being tortured in order to make him drop his guard. Even Eren is shocked by how cold blooded Armin is in that moment.
- Mirror Character: Bertolt and Armin have this parallel this episode. Bertolt expresses that he can never be forgiven for what has transpired but that "someone had to bloody their hands". This is reflected by Armin who remembers his conversation with Jean last season about "people who aren't willing to abandon something, can't change anything" and decides to abandon a part of his humanity by using Bertolt's felling's for Annie against him in order to free Eren.
- The Needs of the Many: Erwin brings an entire horde of Titans with him to attack Reiner and Bertolt so that they can capture Eren and escape. While this leads to the deaths of many more soldiers, as Erwin points out, if Eren is taken away humanity wont have a future left.
- Nerves of Steel: Even with his right arm being eaten by a Titan, Erwin has the presence of mind to urge his soldiers to advance without him.
- Not So Stoic: Bertolt, for most of the preceding episodes, had seemed rather aloof when it comes to his thoughts on the mission. However, after being confronted by his friends in the 104th, he breaks down into tears and admits that despite everything he still considers them comrades.
- Oh, Crap!: Bertolt has an especially freaked out expression when he sees Mikasa giving him a withering death glare outside of Reiner's protective shell.
- Only a Flesh Wound: Erwin recovers from losing his arm remarkably fast and he has the strength to save Eren and escape afterwards.
- Rousing Speech: Erwin rallies the Scouts/Garrison/MP force with one of these, urging them to "Dedicate your hearts!" before they charge.
- Slasher Smile: Armin gives a very disturbing one when he lies to Bertolt and Reiner that Annie has been undergoing torture after she was captured.
- The last thing we see before the episode ends is the Smiling Titan’s patented teeth-baring grin.
- Sympathy for the Devil: After Bertolt breaks down and admits that he still cares for the 104th and that he knows that the Shifters can never be forgiven for their actions everyone is noticeable shocked by the display. Even Mikasa, who earlier on had been desperately trying to kill him, lets off her assault briefly and just quietly asks Bertolt to return Eren.
- Trapped in Villainy: This episode makes it abundantly clear that Bertolt hates what he has done but feels that he can't undo what has transpired.
- This Is Unforgivable!: Bertolt ironically feels this way about himself as he tells the rest of the 104th that, after everything he, Reiner and Annie have done, none of them deserve forgiveness.
- Undying Loyalty: Ymir and Historia's bond is reinforced once again in this episode. After Ymir asks Historia to save her Historia tells her that she "will always be her ally." Later on Connie points out the Ymir never does anything unless it involves protecting Historia in some way.
- War Is Hell: The lead-up to the charge might have been glorious, but the reality of Titan combat is anything but. Several soldiers are eaten in the chaotic mess, with one unfortunate person being headbutted by a runaway horse into a Titan's grasp.
- Was It All a Lie?: Connie, Jean and Sasha all converge on Bertolt, who has Reiner protecting him with his hands, and asks them how they really felt about them. After brining up some of their past together Bertolt breaks down and admits that it wasn't all a lie and that the only time he and Reiner ever had a respite was when they pretended to be soldiers.
- We Need a Distraction: Armin lying to Bertolt and off-balancing him was just the opening that Erwin needed to attack.
- Wham Shot: The episodes final scene wherein the Smiling Titan that ate Mrs. Yeager all those years ago suddenly emerges from the smoke to confront Eren and Mikasa.
- You Monster!: When Armin lies and claims Annie is being tortured, Bertolt loses his temper and calls him a Devil-Spawn before trying to attack him.
