- Adapted from: Chapter 130, Chapter 123
On their way to get the flying boat up and running, Mikasa recalls the first time she, Armin, Eren, Jean, Sasha, Connie, Levi, and Hange visited Marley in disguise. After saving a child pickpocket from mob violence, the group convenes with Lady Kiyomi to discuss their hopes of peace through an organization claiming to promote the interests of Eldians. Mikasa, realizing Eren is missing, finds him next to a tent city where the pickpocket apparently lives. Eren asks her why she's so devoted to him, but Mikasa, unable to admit her true feelings, tells him he's like a brother to her. They, along with Connie, Jean and Sasha, soon get invited into the camp for some hospitality. One Binge Montage later, the group is finally discovered by Hange, Levi, and Onyankopon, who are less than amused.
Unfortunately, the organization they came to listen to turns out to be for Eldian refugees alone, attempting to protect those living in ghettos and wearing the armbands by disassociating them from "those Island Devils." Eren leaves in despair, and Mikasa finishes narrating about how that was when Eren left them and began hiding in Marley. But she can't help but wonder- would things have gone differently if she were more honest about her feelings with him?
Eren too, is wondering if things could've gone differently, but he really doesn't see how. His flashbacks are mainly focused on how he began the Yeagerist movement with Floch, and a certain conversation he had with Historia (before her pregnancy) where he confided in her his plans for the Rumbling. His memories also confirm that the Ackermans have no genetic compulsion to protect the Founding Titan, and that this was a lie he told Mikasa, after Zeke made him realize that she loves him as much more than a brother. Finally, we see that Eren was genuinely distraught that Sasha died, having wanted nothing more than long and happy lives for all of his friends.
Out at sea, a massive blockade of warships from around the world stands ready to repel the Rumbling with all the firepower they can muster. It doesn't work. The blockade is wiped out, and the land artillery quickly realize just how hopeless the situation is, turning and running for their lives. Both them and the audience get their first good look at Eren's Founding Titan form, and it's horrifying.
Remembering his words from the very first episode, Eren vows, once again, "to kill every last one of 'em."
Tropes:
- An Arm and a Leg:
- The merchants in Marley suggest smashing the hand of the boy that tried to steal Sasha's purse, but the Survey Corps run away with him before it happens.
- Eren is shown cutting off his own leg with a knife in order to pretend to be a maimed Eldian soldier so he can infiltrate Marley.
- Binge Montage: The scouts share one with the residents of the tent city, who seem to be from the same Mid-East Alliance the Warrior Unit was fighting at the beginning of the season.
- Cannot Spit It Out: Mikasa wastes her last chance to tell Eren how she really feels about him before he leaves her behind for good. Physically and emotionally.
- Call-Back: To the first two episodes of Season 1, when the Colossal and Armoured Titan appear, including the music and soldiers running away after futily shooting cannons at the enemy.
- Cliffhanger: Mikasa contemplates Eren's motives and if killing him is the only way to stop his genocidal attack on Marley and the rest of the world. Meanwhile, Eren officially begins his assault, with legions of Colossal Titans before him.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: The navy officers that try to stop the Rumbling by shooting down the Titans end up being fried by the steam they emit.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: The Global Alliance are no match for an army of Colossal Titans that are being controlled by a singular mind. While they are successful in blowing apart a number of Titans those that survive simply swim around those bodies and then under the warships themselves. Most of the soldiers on board are burned alive thanks to the Titans steam while the few that survived died after their ships were send flying and exploded out at sea. The Marleyan foot soldiers, after putting up a token effort, decide to get the hell out of there before the Titans hit landfall.
- Dark Reprise: The final scene with Eren's Ironic Echo "to kill every last one of 'em" is accompanied by a darker version of Attack on Titan, the iconic title song first heard all the way back in the first episode.
- Downer Ending: The episode's final scene is the Colossal Titans plowing through a massive naval blockade like it's not even there before finally making landfall on Marley, Eren directing his former vow to "kill them all" at all human life outside Paradis as his insane genocide begins.
- Eldritch Abomination: Eren's Titan in the end.
- Everyone Can See It: While it's already well established that everyone is just waiting for Eren and Mikasa to get together, it really drives the point home when Zeke, who has never even met Mikasa, is the one who finally makes Eren see the light.Zeke: She just simply likes you so much that she'd snap a Titan's neck for you.
- Eye Scream: While not shown graphically, Eren uses a bullet to pierce his eye to pretend to be an incapacitated Eldian soldier.
- Foreign Queasine: Once more, inverted. Several members of the Survey Corps taste ice cream for the first time and they love it.
- Ironic Echo: At the start of the series, Eren promised to "kill every last one of 'em", referring to the Titans that had laid waste to his home. After everything that had occurred between then and now, he vows to carry out this promise on everyone outside of Paradis that has demonized them.
- It's All My Fault: Mikasa thinks back to the last conversation she had with Eren before he left the group and infiltrated Marley as "Kruger." She believes that if she had confessed her true feelings for him then the Rumbling would not be happening.
- Kill It with Fire: The Global Alliance are killed at sea when the Colossal Titans simply swim underneath their ships with the boiling steam being enough to burn every single one of the soldiers to ash in seconds.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": Once the Wall Titans make landfall the Marleyan's are left scrambling in terror to escape, which only gets worse when they see Eren's new Titan form for the first time.
- Oblivious to Love: Eren, who is unable to realize that Mikasa sees him as something more than her family, even though Everyone Can See It.
- Opening Shout-Out: The final shot of the episode is the camera being flattened by a Colossal Titan, which is one of the last scenes of the Final Season's second opening.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: It doesn't take long for the Marleyan artillery to break formation and run for their lives, once it becomes obvious they're not even annoying the Titans.
- Simple, yet Awesome: How Eren's Titans defeat the Global Blockade that was enacted to slaughter them. Instead of attacking the warships directly the Titans simply swim underneath the battleships and let their extremely hot steam burn the alliance to death.
- Thousand-Yard Stare: The Marleyan artillery can only stare in horrified silence as the entire Global Allied Fleet is wiped out by Eren's Titan army.
- Ungrateful Bastard: How does one repay a complete stranger for saving you from a mob that was about to maim or kill you? Even though he knew damn well you'd committed the crime you were about to be lynched for? Obviously, steal his wallet too and make a quick getaway!
- Waterfall Puke: Sasha can be seen throwing up in the corner after the Binge Montage.
- Wham Shot: We finally see Eren's Founding Titan form, in all of its horrific glory.
- Whole Episode Flashback: All but the last few minutes are set before the attack on Liberio.
- Zerg Rush: While the Global Alliance makes a valiant effort in taking down the Colossal Titans the fact is that there is simply too many of them to hit, never mind that thanks to Eren's coordination they are no longer mindless. Once they reach the ships the battle is over in seconds.
