Summary
- Attack on Titan's unique opening intros are known for their fluid animations and exciting song choices.
- Season 2's "Shinzou Wo Sasageyo" perfectly captures the darker tone of the show with poignant visuals and chilling music.
- Season 1, Part 2's "Jiyuu no Tsubasa" is considered the best opening, offering an electric guitar lead and thrilling first-person perspective.
Attack on Titan is one of the most successful anime series of all time, and for good reason. From the large-scale battles to the character development, there is so much to enjoy about the anime, and every aspect of the show seems to shine. This includes the separate opening intros the show has used for its different seasons. They are perhaps among the best OPs in the anime industry when it comes to both fluid animations and exciting song choices.
Attack On Titan: Every Titan And Their Special Ability
The nine titans in Attack on Titan all possess signature abilities that make each of them formidable.
Attack on Titan released four seasons in total, culminating in 87 standard episodes and two specials. Each AoT opening has its own style and flair, though there are certainly a few that fans still recite and remember more fondly to this day than others.
Updated August 15, 2024 by Mark Sammut: Attack on Titan ended roughly a year ago by this point, although the anime will continue to be remembered for years to come. While most AoT openings are well-known and iconic, the series produced one final OP that flew under the radar.
8 Season 4, Part 1 (Episodes 60–75): "My War"
Boku no Sensō
- Link
- Song by Noko & Shinsei Kamattechan
Season 4 Part 1 has some of the show's best episodes; however, the intro just doesn't match their intensity, sadly. While "My War" by Noko is unique when it comes to Attack on Titan opening songs, it is paired up with some rather generic, if colorful and abstract, action. It's pleasing to the eye but doesn't show much other than nondescript soldiers fighting on a battlefield .
The intro isn't bad by any means, it just lacks the personal connection that other openings boast. This does make sense, considering that the beginning of the season follows new characters, but the cinematic doesn't bring out strong emotions like the best Attack on Titan intros.
7 Season 1, Part 1 (Episodes 1–13): "Feuerroter Pfeil und Bogen"
Guren no Yumiya
- Link
- Song by Linked Horizon
There will always be something nostalgic about a beloved anime's first-season opener. This certainly rings true with Attack on Titan, as these scenes marked some of the first animated action fans ever saw from this critically acclaimed anime.
The intro hasn't fully stood the test of time like other openers, though, and might remind viewers of the show just how much the animation has improved over the years. Nevertheless, "Guren no Yumiya" is an excellent song that captures the wonders of the first season, and it is the highlight of this particular opener.
6 Season 4, Part 3 (Episodes 88–94): "The Last Titan"
Saigo no Kyojin
- Link
- Song by Linked Horizon
Nothing associated with Attack on Titan can be truly described as "obscure," but "Saigo no Kyojin" could be seen as a relative exception. In 2023, the anime adaptation concluded with two special episodes that were roughly an hour long. As they did not include new opening songs, "The Rumbling" was likely the last Attack on Titan OP that most people heard. However, on Japanese streaming services, these specials were split into standard 20-minute chapters, extending the series by seven more episodes. As they cover the same content as the specials, there is ultimately no need to seek them out; that said, episodes 88–94 include a new opening and ending.
Attack on Titan Ending, Explained
The Attack on Titan finale saw humanity's last stand against the Rumbling. Here's a look at what happened.
Bringing Linked Horizon back, "Saigo no Kyojin" is essentially a celebration of the series as a whole and, specifically, its opening tracks. Putting aside a quiet start, the upbeat and energetic track is reminiscent of the band's earlier efforts, and it includes direct references to most of the previous OPs (even ones not done by Linked Horizon). The visuals primarily look back at Attack on Titan's journey, showing scenes from as far back as season 1. As most viewers had likely already seen the specials, the OP seemed to focus on honoring AoT's legacy rather than creating a piece that best reflects the tone of the final few episodes.
5 Season 3, Part 1 (Episodes 38–49): "Red Swan"
Red Swan (Same Title In Japanese)
- Link to the full song
- Song by Yoshiki ft. Hyde
As season 3 of Attack on Titan expanded on the world-building, it had an opening cinematic to match this shift. "Red Swan" and the OP as a whole have a lot of great qualities, such as showing the growth and change of the characters fans have invested so much time watching. This is a very nice touch.
Top 23 Attack On Titan Episodes
Attack On Titan is full of thrilling fight scenes, shocking plot twists, and gut-wrenching moments. These episodes stand out as the most impactful.
Not to mention the fact that fans get to see flashbacks of Levi as a child wielding a knife, which never gets old (considering that he later becomes one of the most powerful beings in Attack on Titan). Pair these animations with the beautiful song performed by Yoshiki and Hyde, and the result is an iconic Attack on Titan opening cinematic.
4 Season 4, Part 2 (Episodes 76–87): "The Rumbling"
The Rumbling (Same Title In Japanese)
- Link
- Song by SiM
Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2 set the stage for the story's finale, and it deserved a huge OP. Thankfully, "The Rumbling" more than delivered on this promise, producing a stellar and heavy track alongside visuals that showcase just how far the characters have come over the anime's run. Well, to be more specific, the OP shows how greatly one character has changed: Eren.
Yeager takes center stage for nearly the entire OP; more importantly, the opening shows Eren isolated, a person who has the weight of the world on his shoulder and has separated himself from the community that kept him grounded. The imagery of Eren walking on the wall is provocative, as are the haunting shots of the army of Titans.
3 Season 3, Part 2 (Episodes 50–59): "Path of Aspirations and Corpses"
Shoukei To Shikabane No Michi
- Link to the full song
- Song by Linked Horizon
Season 3 was split into two parts, with the second OP being superior. "Shoukei To Shikabane No Michi" gets the edge over "Red Swan" because the song is arguably one of the anime's most recognizable tunes. Not only that, but the cinematic is full of slow-motion shots like the legendary Scouts rushing the Beast Titan and other iconic moments such as Eren's Attack Titan and Reiner's Armored Titan doing long-awaited battle with one another.
Attack on Titan: Worst Things Reiner Did
Reiner is one of the most complex characters in Attack on Titan, and is responsible for several heinous acts throughout the series.
The opener does a perfect job of showing viewers some of the intense scenes of episodes past, while also hinting towards what's to come. Season 3's intro is still considered among the best the anime has to offer. Not quite the very best, though.
2 Season 2 (Episodes 26–37): "Opfert eure Herzen!"
Shinzou Wo Sasageyo
- Link
- Song by Linked Horizon
There is something chilling about the piano keys that start Season 2's intro, a fitting pick considering Attack on Titan became considerably darker during this stretch of episodes. "Shinzou Wo Sasageyo" by Linked Horizon is just perfect for Season 2. Some of the shots used in the opening are gripping and poignant as well, such as the one that pans over all the heroes standing on the wall (and reveals the huge amount of vast and terrible Titan forces barreling their way).
Something else to note about this intro is the red beating hearts that can be seen in both our main protagonists' and their enemies' bodies. Perhaps this goes to show that the two sides ultimately aren't too different after all (the members of the Survey Corps have done some terrible things themselves).
1 Season 1, Part 2 (Episodes 14–25): "Die Flügel der Freiheit"
Jiyuu no Tsubasa
- Link
- Song by Linked Horizon
"Jiyuu no Tsubasa" is Attack on Titan's best opening, and it is all-around brilliant. The music performed by Linked Horizon begins with a spine-tingling chant, which then proceeds to turn into an electric guitar lead which ramps up the intro to new levels.
It also offers a first-person perspective of what it's like to fly through the sky in ODM gear, which helps give viewers an understanding of what it's like to fight hordes of incredibly dangerous titans as a scout. The stylish scenes highlighted by the video don't really spoil anything but serve very well to get fans excited about the adventures that await them.
- Release Date
- 2013 - 2022-00-00
Cast
-
Matthew Mercer -
Josh Grelle
WHERE TO WATCH
- Japanese Title
- Shingeki no Kyojin
- Studio
- Wit Studio, MAPPA
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Hajime Isayama
- Number of Episodes
- 94
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu, Crunchyroll, Adult Swim
