Highlights

  • Dramatic storytelling with emotional impact keeps viewers invested in Attack on Titan's tragic and unforgettable moments.
  • Main character deaths and betrayals, such as Eren's demise and Annie's betrayal, change the show's tone and audience perspective.
  • Heartbreaking events like Sasha's sudden death and Eren's descent into madness showcase the devastating consequences of the characters' actions.

Attack on Titan has earned its place as one of the most well-known and beloved anime of recent years. There are countless reasons for that, including a captivating story loaded with twists and turns, incredible characters who go on a path of extensive development, and poignant themes that resonate with many.

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One of the show's most important aspects is its dramatic storytelling, which includes many moments that have a lasting emotional impact on viewers. Many times, viewers feel for the characters and their unfortunate fates in this dangerous world, and these tragic moments lead to unforgettable first viewings.

11 Season 1: Carla Yeager’s Death

The Inciting Incident

Carla Yeager Death Attack On Titan

Attack on Titan wastes no time and introduces the grim reality of its setting at the very beginning of the story by showing the devastating attack on Wall Maria. It’s orchestrated by the Armored and the Colossal Titans, who allow the hordes of other Titans to sway Eren’s hometown and kill countless people.

The most impactful death out of all of them, however, is that of Carla Yeager, Eren’s mother. Eren has to watch as his mother is crushed beneath the rubble of their house and eaten by a Titan, which forces the boy to live through devastating trauma that will make him despise the Titans for years to come.

10 Season 1: Eren’s First Death

Demise Before Rebirth

eren talking armin and mikasa

While few anticipated the main protagonist of the series to die and stay dead so early in the series, the show still does a fantastic job of showing the impact of Eren’s death and how other characters react to it. Him getting eaten by a Titan as he saves Armin from certain death is a grotesque and horrifying scene, fitting with the show’s tone.

The show provides a glimpse into Armin’s guilt as he blames himself for Eren’s death, as well as Mikasa’s shame at the realization that she failed to protect Eren, the person closest to her. Seeing Eren’s friends being devastated over his apparent death will undoubtedly leave many viewers emotional.

9 Season 1: Annie’s Betrayal

A Traitor In The Midst

Annie Leonhart in Attack On Titan

The latter half of season 1 centers on Annie Leonheart’s betrayal and secret identity as a Female Titan. The Female Titan is shown to be a deadly opponent who can completely annihilate many in the Scout Regiment, but her identity is left unclear until later.

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Apart from Eren, Annie is the first character who reveals her identity as a Titan, leaving others no choice but to go against someone they consider a friend. This betrayal stings, as it completely changes how the audience sees Annie’s character, breaking their trust and making them doubt much of what they see on-screen.

8 Season 2: Reiner And Berthold’s Betrayal

The Ones Who Started It All

Armored Titan Reiner Grabs Eren Attack On Titan

While they were not the first Titan shifters to reveal their true identities, Reiner and Berthold’s betrayal is considered one of the most memorable scenes in the show. One reason for this is how sudden and straightforward this reveal is, but it also carries the sad weight of yet more characters betraying their friends.

Reiner’s betrayal hits especially close to home for Eren, as he looked up to Reiner during Season 1 and considered him a role model scout. Seeing his idol not only end up being a shifter, but also someone who is indirectly responsible for his mother’s death sends Enren into a fit of rage motivated by deep pain.

7 Season 2: Eren’s Breakdown

Feeling Powerless

Eren Yeager Vows To Kill All Titans Attack On Titan - Featured

Eren goes through a lot of personal struggle in the second season, which starts with Reiner’s betrayal and culminates at the end of the season as he sees the Titan that killed his mother years ago. He also has to watch Hannes take up the fight and die a brutal death at the hands of this Titan.

This moment is incredibly heartbreaking for Eren and the audience, as it reminds them of how the show started and how powerless Eren felt back then. Now, despite the path he’s been on, he feels just as pathetic, which devastates him and sends him into a hysterical breakdown, with only Mikasa able to pull him out of it.

6 Season 3: Erwin’s Sacrifice

A Leader’s Death

Erwin Smith Death Attack On Titan

One of the characters who has been a universal role model and a leader to the show's younger generation is Erwin Smith, who has been a prominent character over the first three seasons. However, at the end of Season 3, he sacrifices himself to give Levi a chance to take down the Beast Titan, rushing to his death on horseback.

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What makes his death sting even more is that there is a chance to save Erwin by making him inherit the Colossal Titan, and Levi comes close to administering the serum. However, he makes a last-minute decision to use it on Armin instead, which leaves no way to save their commander.

5 Season 3: Grisha’s Path

A Father’s Loss

Eren Convining Grisha To Kill The Reis Family

When Eren and his friends finally get to Grisha’s basement, they learn a lot about his past, which shows the depressing life that Grisha has had. His turmoils start when he loses his sister and blames himself for it. He also has to live in a society that despises his people, Eldians, and treats them as second-class citizens.

Eventually, Grisha has a chance to start a rebellion against the oppressive Marley regime, but he ends up imprisoned after being betrayed by his own son. His suffering culminates with seeing his own wife turned into a Titan before his eyes, which elicits a lot of sympathy from the audience towards Grisha’s pain.

4 Season 4: Sasha’s Death

A Friend Lost

Sasha Braus Death Attack On Titan

While Sasha was not the most prominent character in Attack on Titan, she was still an integral member of the scouts and a friend to the show’s main protagonists. Her death was a sharp and sudden moment as she was shot by Gabi, who managed to sneak onto the airship controlled by the scouts.

Sasha’s friends desperately attempted to help her, but to no avail, and as a result, they had to watch her die and bring the tragic news to her family. The fact that Sasha survived the battle in Marley and didn’t expect any more obstacles during her return home makes the death sting even more.

3 Season 4: The Titan Transformation

Zeke Unleashes His Scream

zeke attack on titan

One of the pivotal schemes the Yeagerists pulled off in Season 4 was tricking countless people in Paradis into drinking wine containing Zeke’s spinal fluid. This made them susceptible to turning into Titans if they were within a radius of his scream, which is exactly what happened during Marley’s invasion.

What makes this moment especially tragic is the fact that, among countless people who transformed and had to be killed, commander Dot Pixis was present. Young heroes had no choice but to see one of their mentors become a mindless monster, and then had to end his torment by killing him.

2 Season 4: The Rumbling

Genocide

The_Rumbling

The culmination of Season 4, and the entire storyline of the show, is Eren unleashing the Rumbling, countless wall Titans walking across the world and destroying everything in their path. This moment shows Eren’s final descent into insanity as he abandons his traces of humanity and embraces the monster within.

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The final episodes show how devastating and depressing the Rumbling is, as countless people, including children, end up mauled and trampled all around the world. The show captures the depressing nature and atmosphere of the Rumbling as the viewers see the world being destroyed and changed forever.

1 Season 4: Eren’s End

Final Goodbyes

Attack on Titan Eren Yeager final season poster

While Eren walked a dark path and eventually wound up as the main antagonist of the story, his death still brings with it a great deal of tragedy and sadness. The audience gets an opportunity to remember Eren as the boy he was before all the trauma and transformation he underwent, wondering if there was another way.

This is especially painful when watching the reactions of Armin and Mikasa, Eren’s best friends. They feel betrayed and abandoned by Eren because he destroyed the world they tried to protect, yet they can’t let go of their bond, and still feel pain and despair at the loss of their friend.