Attack On Titantakes place in a world that is assumed to be overrun by human-eating Titans. Living in a horrifying world, Eren Jaeger watches death after death happen all around him, until he eventually promises to annihilate every single Titan on Earth. The story follows Eren as he navigates joining the military and utilizing his special Titan ability. As time progresses, secrets are revealed and the overarching plot becomes ever more emotional and tragic.
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The emotional impact of Attack On Titan is felt within almost every episode. The painstaking character development leaves you caring for many members of the cast, from the most prominent to the background personalities. Their deaths, as a result, are some of the most harrowing in anime. If you’re looking to reflect on some of the show’s saddest moments, then, these episodes will definitely make you shed a tear.
15Season 1, Episode 1: To You, 2,000 Years Ago
From its very first episode, Attack On Titan manages to make most of us get teary-eyed. The episode To You, 2,000 Years Ago introduces the main character, 10-year-old Eren Jaeger, and his friends Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert. Their life is rather simple, though there are various foreboding hints about Titans entering the walls. Terrible things are coming, there’s no doubt about that right from the start.
Once the Colossal Titans appear, Eren’s halcyon days come to an end and the show takes a dark turn. His mother is consumed by a Titan before him, changing Eren’s view of life completely. You watch as Eren’s whole world changes, and you can’t help but become emotional seeing his grief.
14Season 1, Episode 22: The Defeated
The introduction of the Female Titan was as much of a jarring surprise to viewers as it was to the residents of Attack on Titan’s bleak world. After attacking the Scouts in search of Eren, the Female Titan is defeated by Captain Levi. She is left behind, but the damage caused in the conflict isn’t.
The Defeatedhighlights the aftermath of war, showcasing the casualties and the painful effects the conflict continutes to have upon them. Levi experiences an emotional moment as he mourns the loss of his squad. However, in the face of such devastation, he’s forced to stand tall and move forward. This leaves your chest tight, seeing you wish that for once, your favorite characters will see success.
13Season 3, Episode 9: Bystander
You wouldn’t think such a simple episode would make you tear up, but the symbolism of Bystander is too great to miss. This episode ends with Keith Shadis' backstory on meeting Grisha Jaeger, Eren’s father. In a universe with such skilled soldiers, Shadis reflects on his feeling like a bystander throughout his life in the military. His story comes as a surprise to many.
Eren relates with Shadis, until the older man tells him that Carla, Eren’s mother, said something that changed his mind:“He’s already special because he was born into this world.“Aside from the brutal violence and grand battles, this episode tales the time to present a more human tale and is all the more poignant and affecting for it.
12Season 3, Episode 10: Friends
Tragic endings between two connected individuals are always tragic and hard-hitting moments. Kenny’s friendship with Uri is complicated, yet admirable. Kenny respects Uri’s ability to empathize, and emotions that he cannot seem to tap into. Uri, in return, values Kenny’s authentic friendship. Their comradeship ends through circumstances they were already prepared for, though this doesn’t make the departure any less heartbreaking.
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Even seasoned fans will want to give these episodes a rewatch.
Kenny and Uri’s friendship was unexpected, to say the least. Some would call Kenny the “King’s dog,” but Uri wouldn’t demean the man as such. Their bond was built upon mutual respect that no one quite understood. Because of this rare bond, Friends makes for an emotional episode that has viewers wishing things were different.
11Season 1, Episode 6: The World the Girl Saw: The Struggle for Trost, Part 2
One of the saddest episodes of the first season kicks off right after the Colossal Titan reappears and blasts a hole through the wall around Trost district. The episode right before this one had the main character, Eren Yeager, supposedly dying. Armin was completely traumatized by the situation.
He spirals into self-doubt and pities himself because he feels powerless. On the other side of the battle, Mikasa thinks about everything that led her to this moment, including her very sad and tragic backstory.Her life was brutal and difficult from the start. Even though she survives because of Eren, her worldview completely changes.
10Season 2, Episode 12: Scream
Towards the end of the second season, the scouts are in a completely hopeless situation. Even Eren and Mikasa’s closest thing to family,Hannes, dies by the same titan that killed Eren’s mother. Eren has a full mental breakdown. The rest of the scouts barely survive.
Mikasa realizes that they are about to die and, in an emotionally charged moment, thanks Eren for everything he has done. Eren refuses to give up. Through sheer dumb luck, he unlocks a power he didn’t know he had. This allows the scouts to successfully retreat safely, but not without a lot of sacrifices.
9Season 3, Episode 20: That Day
That Day is a pivotal episode that reveals the truth about Grisha Yeager, Eren’s father, and the dark history of the Eldian Restorationists. Grisha’s heartbreaking journey to save his family, and the brutalities he witnesses, evoke profound sympathy.
The episode sheds light on the desperate struggle of Eldians against Marley and the tragic choices Grisha makes to secure a better future for his people.The deaths of Grisha’s sister and his wife Dina Fritzboth hit extremely hard. It shows just how brutal and sad this anime can get.
8Season 3, Episode 18: Midnight Sun
From beginning to end, Midnight Sun keeps you on the edge of your seat. The tension in this episode is truly palpable, so much so thatnone of the series' beloved musicin any scene until halfway into the episode. The complete silence, mixed with dread and terror, makes for a phenomenal episode. Once again, Attack On Titan shows you that no character is safe from war. No matter how much you desire for certain characters to live, there comes a time to make a choice. Midnight Sun forced the fans to confront the reality of this conflict just as much as the characters themselves must. It’s harrowing and utterly gripping to watch.
7Season 4, Episode 8: Assassin’s Bullet
Assassin’s Bullet makes almost every diehard Attack On Titan fan feel something very, very real. With thedemise of a favorite character, this episode skyrocketed in popularity and caused a wide range of opinions.This anime, above many others, highlights the fragility of existence and relationships, demonstrating that nothing can be taken for granted. Least of all a happy ending. Regardless, the death hit hard and somewhat symbolized the end of everything that was serene in Attack On Titan. No character is safe, it emphasized.
6Season 4, Episode 15: Sole Salvation
Zeke Jaeger is a character many people weren’t a fan of until Sole Salvationwas released. It’s hard not to feel Zeke’s pain after learning his backstory. His controversial actions are a product of the nonstop pressure his parents placed upon him. Attack On Titan continuously shows that characters aren’t inherently bad and that the gray area between good and evil is a very complicated moral matter to consider.
Regardless, Zeke’s choices and ideology were to have huge consequences in the world of Attack on Titan. Understanding his point of view lent a lot to the tragedy of the overarching narrative, and to this particular episode.
