Attack on Titan began as a manga in 2009 before getting an anime adaptation in 2013. Instead of getting filler content, the anime team decided to create big gaps in between seasons to let the manga catch up. This was a wise move to avoid filler, but it also made the wait for fans more difficult.
10 Things Attack On Titan Does Better Than Nearly Every Anime
Attack on Titan was an intense story from start to finish, and it is remembered for all the things that it did right.
That’s why the hype for each new season of Attack on Titan got so much hype now that it’s all done, both the anime and manga. It’s sad to see a series go, but no one can take away how phenomenal a work it was overall. Let’s go through and rank the most epic fights based on quality and brutality.
This contains spoilers for Attack on Titan
Sasha Proves Herself
Episode 27: I’m Home
Season two takes some time to build momentum, but the second episode delivers a key character moment for Sasha. She returns to her village to find it deserted except for one house. Inside, a Titan is slowly consuming a woman while her daughter, transfixed, sits in a corner. Sasha attempts to kill the Titan with an axe, but when that fails, she rescues the young girl and attempts to escape. Ultimately, Sasha defeats the Titan with a bow. While not action-packed, this sequence is tense and compelling.
Plugging Up Wall Rose
Episode 13: Primal Desire
After a small amount of buildup in season one, there is an eventual attack on the Walls, sending the cadets out for their first big mission. There are some good fights within this span of episodes, but it culminates in episode thirteen. The cadets have to defend Eren, in his Attack Titan form, as he carries a boulder to plug up Wall Rose. Eren’s resilience while his fellow cadets zip around him and either die or come close to it showcases what this anime does best: build suspense.
The Scouts vs. The Yaegerists
Episode 86: Retrospective
The final moments of season four, before the final two movies, are a gripping one. As part of an allied force between Eldians and Marlians, Armin and company have to infiltrate a base of Yaegerists. When the infiltration mission goes awry, it’s human vs human in this chaotic battle, and the allied forces are outnumbered and outgunned even with the aid of Titans.
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10 Things The Attack On Titan Manga Does Better Than The Anime
Attack on Titan's anime tends to overshadow its manga, but the latter actually does some things much better than the show.
At every moment, it seems like they could lose, with Floch being mere moments away from destroying their prized ship. In the end, the allied forces are victorious, but at the cost of killing their brethren once again. The Scouts certainly gave up a lot during the war.
The Scouts vs. The Female Titan
Episode 24: Mercy
The end of season one is unforgettable for several reasons, which begins in episode 24. In it, Armin finally deduces that Annie is the Female Titan and, thanks to his quick wit, devises a plan to capture her. The fight between Annie and the Scouts is a harrowing one, leading to her being captured in a net after a fair amount of bloodshed. Unfortunately, she does escape, but Eren manages to take her down after he awakens as the Attack Titan again. This duel was continued in episode 25, which ended in Annie encasing herself in an ice-like formation.
Levi vs. The Beast Titan
Episode 54: Hero
The second half of season three goes back to fighting Titans, specifically the Scouts mounting a war effort against the Armored, Beast, and Colossal Titans. Things are going poorly for the Scouts, and Erwin realizes there is only one tactic left for them: suicide. He leads a regiment of Scouts against the Beast Titan while Levi secretly cuts his way through smaller Titans to get to the Beast Titan, which catches him off guard. Levi looks like a force of nature, the way he is able to slash through the Beast Titan’s arms, heels, and nape.
The Scouts vs. The Anti-Personnel Control Squad
Episode 44: Wish
Season three takes a hard pivot in terms of its focus, as humans are now the new enemies of the Scouts. They fight on and off between the seasons, with the culmination of their war efforts reaching a boiling point in episode 44.
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.
Levi and his company invade the ancestral caves of the Reiss family to rescue Eren and Historia. Their enemies are the internal king’s guard, the Anti-Personnel Control Squad, who use ODM Gear and guns instead of blades. It’s an incredible sequence that is hard to beat thanks to the unique setting.
Eren Brings The Fight To Marley
Episode 65: The War Hammer Titan
As a shock to one, the mysterious stranger that Falco talks to in the early stages of season four is Eren. He hides in wait until the celebration day, when he emerges as the Attack Titan and starts wreaking havoc on the nation of Marley. While he gets a little support from his comrades riding their ODM Gear, Eren is able to fight off the War Hammer, Jaw, Beast, and Cart Titans, mostly on his own. He’s a new man after the time skip, and he absolutely crushes his enemies between episode 65 and episode 66.
The Global Assault On The Founding Titan
Episode SP-2
The best fight inevitably should be in the finale of an anime, and that is certainly the case for Attack on Titan. Aired in a special 90-minute format, the final episode of the anime finds the last squad of the alliance fighting Eren in his Founding Titan form. From Scouts using ODM Gear to allied Titans transforming, the forces give it their all on Eren’s back. There is a good later duel between Eren and Armin in their Colossal Titan forms after the Founding Titan is destroyed. Still, the fights on top of the Founding Titan are the best parts of the episode, from the animation quality to the momentum it gives fans.
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