Top 10 Best Episodes of Attack on Titan (Updated)
Today I am going to enlist the Top 10 Best Episodes of Attack on Titan. Arguably the most popular and one of the leading anime of the current generation, Attack on Titan which began airing on the 7th of April, 2013, is finally coming to an end in the winter of 2023.
The anime has a massive fanbase and rightfully so with the way it has set an example for subsequent anime in terms of storyline, fight sequences, character depths, insane plot twists, and having the audience wanting more every time.
The series begins with the setting of a world where humans are on the verge of extinction. Giant humanoid creatures which they call Titans eat mankind but for no good reason since they can survive even without their consumption. To protect themselves against such creatures, humanity has confined themselves within three huge walls namely, Wall Maria, Wall Rose, and Wall Sina that the Titans could not evade due to their sheer height and durability.
It introduces the protagonist Eren Yaegar along with his friends, Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert who would go on to join the Survey Corps, which is a group of people leaving the Walls to eliminate and gather information on the Titans. The storyline eventually reaches a point where the true meaning of freedom is explored or if it even exists.
Although it is quite an impossible task with the plethora of episodes that outshine the last, in today’s article, we will rank the Top 10 Best Episodes of Attack on Titan (Updated).
10. First Battle: The Struggle for Trost, Part 1 (S1 Ep5)
Release Date: May 5, 2013
IMDB Rating: 9.2
The Titans begin to slaughter and devour each of Eren and Armin’s team members as they advance, and Eren himself loses his left leg. After seeing the fates of his friends, Armin is paralyzed with dread and is almost eaten by a Bearded Titan.
At the last second, Armin is dragged and thrown out of the Bearded Titan’s jaws by Eren, who remembers how he and Armin had desired to explore the world outside the walls. With his left arm extended and away from the Bearded Titan’s mouth, Eren reaches for Armin, but the Bearded Titan closes its jaws, severing Eren’s arm, and swallows him whole.
The episode left the audience reeling in shock as they failed to recognize the fact that the main character had died, just like that, in the 5th episode. With many straight up refusing to believe what their eyes saw and others theorizing if Mikasa or Armin had been the protagonist from the start, this episode is one of the most memorable ones out there, more so because Eren’s alleged death is what goes on to establish his then concealed powers.
9. Assault (S4 Ep7)
Release Date: January 25, 2021
IMDB Rating: 9.9
Armin arrives and changes into the Colossal Titan, decimating the Marleyan Navy and the port in the ongoing conflict on Marleyan territory being led by Eren and the Survey Corps. By placing a grenade on the downed Titan’s nape, Levi exploits the diversion to take down the Beast Titan. Hange, who had been directed by lights set up earlier in the conflict, is flying overhead to recover the Survey Corps.
To break Lara’s crystal, Eren uses the Jaw Titan’s jaws like a nutcracker. After swallowing Lara’s remains, he gains the War Hammer Titan’s abilities. Reiner awakens in response to Gabi and Falco’s calls for assistance to confront Eren.
With the battle between the Paradis island ‘devils’ and the Marleyan army nearing its climax, Armin arrives at the most favourable time, strategically changing the course of the war. The destruction that the Colossal Titan leaves in its formation and its wake serves as enough devastation and distraction against the enemy side. Levi taking down the Beast Titan in one hit was also a sceptical surprise for the viewers after waiting for another legendary showdown.
Eren inheriting the War Hammer Titan’s abilities wasn’t too big of a surprise but the way he does so might have flabbergasted a few out there. The episode ends with the promise of a Herculean fight between the Attack Titan and the Armoured Titan. Without a doubt, it’s one of the 10 Attack on Titan Best Episodes.
8. Warrior (S2 Ep6)
Release Date: May 6, 2017
IMDB Rating: 9.8
Eren discovers that Reiner and Bertholdt, respectively, are the Armoured Titan and the Colossal Titan before departing for the Trost District. Reiner argues that if Eren would just join them, the mission to exterminate all of humanity might be stopped. Hange had given the order to keep a watch on Reiner and Bertholdt in the Ehrmich District twelve hours earlier as they began to suspect that they may have given Annie the information she needed to find Eren by giving it to Reiner.
Back in the present, after transformation, The Colossal Titan grabs Ymir while the Armoured Titan snatches Eren and slides down the wall. Eren transforms into a Titan and starts to battle the Armoured Titan after feeling deceived.
Probably the point where Attack on Titan started leaving people’s jaws hanging with the plot twists. The episode leaves everyone speechless, including our protagonist, the part of the audience who didn’t know their true identities, and the part of the audience who did with the way they reveal themselves. Just for the reveal alone, this is an episode for the history books and then we go on to witness the foreshadowings in season 1 explained by the characters which just takes the cake.
7. Midnight Sun (S3 Ep18)
Release Date: June 3, 2019
IMDB Rating: 9.9
Mikasa learns that Armin is gravely hurt but still alive from the burns he sustained while holding onto the Colossal Titan as Levi gets ready to inject him with the Titan serum. Floch, the lone survivor of the suicide charge, shows up at that precise second carrying Erwin, who is now nearly dead. This causes Levi to reconsider Erwin, prompting Eren and Mikasa to openly disobey Levi’s choice, with the latter striking Levi.
In the end, Levi decides to deliver the serum to Armin and let the commander depart in serenity. The Colossal Titan is later inherited by Armin, after transforming into a mindless Titan and consuming Berthold.
A glimpse of the blonde man in the episode was enough to create hype for his identity and his relation to the Titans as well as Grisha after he mentioned him to Eren. One of the greatest commanders the world of anime has ever seen departs us in this chapter which is enough to make a grown man cry.
The decision of reviving Armin instead of Erwin is still a sore spot for some of the characters and the audience alike but it was a necessary evil that has carried the show forward nevertheless. As younger cadets cry in happiness as Armin reverts back to his body to the older cadets watching over them as they lose their precious commander and friend, it is an outstanding emotional contrast crafted by Isayama.
6. Declaration of War (S4 Ep5)
Release Date: January 11, 2021
IMDB Rating: 9.8
Willy declares on stage that there has been an insurrection on Paradis and that a guy by the name of Eren Jaeger has stolen the Founding Titan. Willy describes how Eren poses a danger to international harmony. Eren apologizes to a frightened Falco in the basement and explains that since arriving in Marley, Eren has realized that both Paradis and Marley are similar in that both sides are just humans.
He tells Reiner that even if their ideals are different, the two of them are similar. Devastated, Reiner implores Eren to take his life. As soon as Willy declares war on Paradis, Eren changes into the Attack Titan, emerges from the cellar, and crushes the stage, hurling Willy’s torn body into the skies.
The episode allows us to look into the Marleyan side of things and their history as explained by Willy to his people. It depicts his mastery of crowd control and crowd influence not just because of his position but his oratory skills. He makes the people trust and believe in his view and the actions that he is going to be undertaking. Little did he know that somebody else right under him is already taking action.
Reiner and Eren’s conversation with poor Falco caught up in between was a much-needed conversation the two needed to have as everyone would agree. Reiner finally lets out the feelings of guilt and severe remorse to the one person in the middle of it. Eren accepts the admission as it is and cryptically expresses how similar they both are. Although initially uncertain, Reiner soon realizes what that was all about by the end.
5. Pain (S3 Ep2)
Release Date: July 30, 2018
IMDB Rating: 9.3
Together with members of his Anti-Personnel Control Squad, Kenny, who is currently employed by the First Interior Squad, pursues Levi. When Kenny discovers Levi hiding in a tavern, Levi shoots him with the bar owner’s musket and kills several of Kenny’s men before escaping. As a result of hearing the ruckus close by, Mikasa and the other scouts are compelled to defend Historia and Eren’s wagon.
Attackers from the Interior Police overpower them and use tranquillizer darts to capture Historia and Eren. Levi comforts Armin and the others when they become traumatized from having to kill people. The assassins of Pastor Nick, Djel Sannes and Ralph, are apprehended by the scouts and tortured to learn where Historia and Eren are. They conclude that her father, Rod Reiss, is keeping Historia captive after learning she is the true heir to the throne.
The face-off between Kenny and Levi outshines most of the fight sequences the show has offered. It remains a fan favourite because of the clean animation style and seeing their idol, Levi in grandiose action. The neatness of assassinating Kenny’s men hiding to capture him and outwitting Kenny himself raises Levi’s bar higher than it already was. The episode also shows his veiled caring side for his team members.
4. Two Brothers (S4 Ep19)
Release Date: January 24, 2022
IMDB Rating: 9.8
After escaping Magath’s sneak attack, Zeke transforms everyone who drank the contaminated wine, including Nile, Pyxis, and Falco, into Pure Titans using his scream. Falco’s transformation shocks Colt to his core. Falco eats Porco who offers himself up instead of Reiner. Thunder Spears used by the Survey Corps to strike the Cart and Armoured Titans make a way for Eren to depart his Titan and get to Zeke, who pretended to be dead.
Gabi, though, decapitates Eren with Colt’s weapon, and his head falls into Zeke’s grasp. Immediately, Eren’s awareness is taken to the Paths, where he encounters an old Zeke bound in shackles. Eren admits he never intended to carry out Zeke’s plan and makes an effort to influence a little girl who is the spirit of the Founder Ymir as she arrives from the Coordinate. Zeke counters by saying that Ymir only obeys people of royal lineage. Eren is bound by Zeke after he removes his chains.
The episode is rightfully named as it revolves around the connection between the two pairs of brothers, Falco and Colt, and Eren and Zeke. Porco goes out with a bang with his sacrifice which will be remembered. The absolute despair Gabi’s action had left the fandom in will also be remembered but perhaps with not a similar notion.
3. That Day (S3 Ep20)
Release Date: June 17, 2019
IMDB Rating: 9.8
Eren has a dream about living the life of his father Grisha, beginning with the time when he brought Faye, his younger sister, outside the Liberio Internment Zone for Eldians. Two Public Safety soldiers, nevertheless, manage to catch them. Grisha endured a pounding from Kruger for himself and Faye, but the next day, Faye’s bloody corpse is discovered.
Grisha joins the Eldian Restoration movement as an adult. The covert agent “Owl” is in favour of the movement. In the process of eventually getting married to Dina Fritz, the last Eldian of royal blood left on the mainland, Grisha discovers the truth about the Eldians. The couple has a kid named Zeke. His son develops a level of loyalty that allows him to hand over the Restorationists to law enforcement, even his own parents.
Then, Grisha and his fellow Restorationists are transported to Paradis Island’s outer wall for exile. As Gross transforms the other members of the squad, including Dina, who ironically becomes the Titan that would eventually eat Eren’s mother, Grisha recognizes Kruger and Gross among the group.
Gross acknowledges killing Faye and was going to kick Grisha over the wall when he was abruptly shoved by Kruger and devoured by a Titan. And then the transformation of Kruger into the Attack Titan reveals that he is both the Owl and a Titan shifter.
2. Memories of the Future (S4 Ep20)
Release Date: January 31, 2022
IMDB Rating: 9.9
Zeke attempts to persuade Eren that Grisha manipulated him by reliving his life through Grisha’s recollections using the Paths. They learn that Grisha had abandoned his Eldian nationalism in favor of letting Eren choose his own course in life. Zeke learns from Eren that he was wrong to think they were the same. Zeke claims that he is still capable of carrying out the euthanasia plan.
When Grisha offered Eren a tour of their basement in the recollection, it was revealed that he was actually speaking to Eren’s future self. Then Zeke and Eren arrive at the scene where Grisha confronts the Reiss family. According to Grisha, the Attack Titan’s host has the power to view the memories of its future inheritors.
Freida’s refusal to assist Grisha prompts him to decide to murder the Reiss family, but he holds back since he cannot bring himself to harm children. Grisha is provoked into killing the Reiss family by Eren using his memories of the future to communicate with him. This allows history to unfold exactly as it was intended. After the incident, Grisha approaches Zeke and sobs, informing him that Eren’s plan would be carried out.
The episode caused Eren’s manipulation to go viral all over the world even among those who are yet to experience the world of anime. Grisha’s voice actor was communally applauded for the excellent portrayal of the despair after going through what Grisha did.
1. Hero (S3 Ep17)
Release Date: May 27, 2019
IMDB Rating: 9.9
Levi eliminates the Titans on the Beast Titan’s right flank to get to him. After giving the Beast Titan enough wounds to prevent him from resuming his Titan form, Levi can render him helpless and rip the blond guy out. The blond man is however taken by the Cart Titan and fled in its maw.
The party, with Hange’s assistance, uses two of their remaining thunder spears to break the jaw hinges of the Armored titan so Mikasa can release Reiner from his titan body using her thunder spear. Bertholt continues to set Armin ablaze in his steam before realizing too late that Armin had merely served as a distraction for Eren as he hardened his Titan form.
Be it the blistering fight between the Armoured Titan and the Attack Titan with the Corps or the sacrifice Armin gave showing his growth from a feeble boy, or the absolute decapitation Levi enacted upon the Beast Titan, this episode never fails to strike gold with the substantial, emotional and complete badass moments. An episode truly showcasing the best of all the worlds.
Your Questions on AoT
Who is Eren’s love interest?
At the final Chapters of the Manga Eren confessed to Armin that his love interest was Mikasa. He loved her wholeheartedly and he could not tolerate any other man near her. Eren did everything to give his friends a happy life. He is a complete Tsundere lover.
Who is the colossal Titan in Attack on Titans?
Bertholdt Hoover was the first shown Colossal Titan in the series. But later Armin Arlert received his powers.
Does Eren die in the end?
Yes. Eren dies by the end of the series and it was Mikasa who dealt the final blow. Everything was according to Eren’s plan this way the Paradis were free from their curse and Eren also found his salvation by dying at Mikasa’s hands. Because his only love interest was Mikasa. Eren’s death is one of the best sacrifices in the history of anime.
Article Summary
Conclusion
Attack on Titan poses the subject of what it means to be free through its exploration of cycles and free will. When we learn that the enemies beyond the wall are less but also more horrifying than those he has spent his entire life chasing, his worldview is upended. Eren realizes with a grim awareness that the cage was just larger than they had anticipated. Even after it has long since finished, viewers will continue to revisit the story of Eren and his endeavor for Paradis. To us and to the decade of memories we have with it, Shinzou Wa Sasageyo!