Anirban Bhattacharya
‘Attack on Titan’ is one of my favorite anime. The anime series is filled with twists after twists. When you read the premise, you dismiss it as being a sort of tale where humans try to survive from big monsters against all odds using cool weapons. This notion goes on for the first few episodes but as soon as you get the first twist, you understand that there is more to the show than it seems. The plot takes place in a time which is more than a thousand years in the past. Human beings are being pushed to the brink of extinction by big humanoid monsters they call Titans.
The Titans consume humans and destroy everything on their path. Humans now live together in a city surrounded by walls with their only hope being the 3D gear system which allows them high mobility, thus enabling them to take down Titans. After watching his mom being eaten alive by a Titan, Eren Yeager decides to join the army and rid the world of all the Titans. Can he? With that said, here’s the list of top ‘Attack on Titan’ episodes. Don’t forget to mention your favorite pick in the comments.
12. Season 3 Episode 10, Friends
This was the second last episode of the first part of season 2 of the anime. Kenny is dying and he decides to reveal certain things about his past to Levi. Kenny is actually Kenny Ackerman. He remembers how he and Uri became friends even though the circumstances were completely against it. He is the uncle of Levi and had taken care of him after the death of his mother. Kenny turned Levi into a killer. Levi understands that Kenny might have much more information about the Titans and presses him to reveal more. Kenny tells Levi that he had not injected himself with the Titan serum and he has stolen the serum from Rod Reiss. He then gives Levi the serum and passes away. The illegitimate daughter of the Reiss family Historia becomes the queen and Levi congratulates her.
11. Season 3 Episode 2, Pain
In the third season, we see more conflicts emerge among the humans rather than conflicts between the Titans and the humans. It seems there are many secrets hiding within the wall than outside it. Kenny, the serial killer, tries to pursue Levi but the latter is able to escape. Mikasa is adamant in defending Eren and Historia. She leads the other Scouts to protect the duo. This means that they will have to kill humans which is something they did not sign up for. The fact that they are now killing humans does not sit well with Armin and the other Scouts as they face Kenny’s group. Levi tries his best to console the young minds. They then interrogate Dimo Reeves and Levi offers him and the people of Tost protection.
Elsewhere, we see Hange approaching Erwin. She tells him that they need to rescue Eren, otherwise he will be eaten. Thanks to the support and information from Reeves, the Scouts are able to capture some Interior Squad members. They ultimately learn about Eren’s and Historia’s location. Kenny then kills Reeves for having betrayed him. He does not know that Reeves’ sons Flegel has witnessed the killing of his father.
10. Season 2 Episode 12, Scream
The last episode of the second season was quite intensive and reveals to us a special power of Eren. The tides do not seem to favor the Scouts as more Titans approach their position. This is thanks to the Armored Titan which keeps throwing Titans at their position. We then see Hannes sacrificing himself to save Mikasa and Eren from the Smiling Titan. This is a really emotional scene as even after trying his best, he is not able to transform into a Titan and fails to save Hannes. He then vows to protect Mikasa at any cost. When he comes in contact with the Smiling Titan, some power within him activates. This makes the other Titans start devouring the Smiling Titan. It turns out that Eren has a special power, ‘Coordinate’, which allows him to control other Titans. This is the reason why Bertholdt and Reiner need him. Eren wants to use his newfound power to protect humanity. In the closing scene, we see the Beast Titan looking into the distance atop Wall Maria as a blonde man appears from behind him uttering the words ‘not just yet’.
9. Season 2 Episode 11, Charge
The last two episodes of the second season of the anime were really good. It set things up nicely for the third season. We see the Armored Titan fleeing from the scouts holding Bertholdt, Eren, and Ymir. The latter had swallowed Christa in the previous episode. Ymir regurgitates Christa and explains the reason for her action. Meanwhile, Mikasa tries to attack Bertholdt but her attack is blocked by the armored Titan. The 104th cadet arrives and tries to reason with their comrade Bertholdt but the latter says that he is on a mission and will complete it. The Scouts keep attacking the Titans while Mikasa, Armin, and Erwin try their best to attack the Armored Titan and recover Eren from its clutches. The Armored Titan is out of luck as other Titans start attacking him too, forcing him to release Eren and Bertholdt. The Scouts then try to retrieve but the Armored Titan stops them by throwing Titans at them. This makes Eren and Mikasa fall off their horse. They then encounter the smiling Titan which is the one that killed their mom Carla.
8. Season 2 Episode 5, Historia
This episode marks a change in the life of Christa who finally accepts who she is revealing her real name. We also see Ymir finally becoming a Titan to everyone’s surprise and trying her best to save them. A flashback involving Christa and Ymir during their training days is also shown. One day, the duo gets stuck in the snow while trying to save a fellow cadet by the name of Daz. Ymir tells Christa that she just has a death wish which is why she tried to save Daz. She then asks Christa to promise her that if she ever reveals her true name and her heritage then she should start living for herself.
Presently, the cadets find themselves in a fix as Titans surround the tower. Ymir changes into an intelligent, small, and nimble Titan. She then attacks the other Titans. But their sheer number overwhelms her. Hange and other scouts arrive just in time to save them. After the incident, we see Christa attending to a gravely injured Ymir. The rest of the Scouts learn of her true nature. Just as Ymir is about to become unconscious, Christa reveals her true name to be Historia Reiss.
7. Season 2 Episode 2, I’m Home
One of the best things about ‘Attack on Titan’ is how over the course of its seasons it deepens the mystery and includes multiple plot twists to keep things interesting. Everything started simple — humans trying to survive against monsters who want to eat them. But then we learn more and more about the Titans and secrets start coming out. Armin and Hange deduce that the walls surrounding the city get their strength most probably form the Titans within it. Soon the regiment heads to Stohess district where Titans have appeared after the breach of Wall Rose.
Meanwhile, Sasha Braus rushes to inform the villagers and her father about the breach but sees that a Titan is eating a woman and her daughter is nearby. She takes the daughter and runs but the Titan follows them. She decides to hold the monster off and urges the girl to run. Sasha manages to blind the Titan just as her father and other villagers arrive and attack the Titan. We then see Conny and his group arriving at Ragako and it seems that the village has already been attacked by the Titans. Conny then finds his house and upon reaching it, discovers an old Titan lying on its back, trapped inside. He wonders how was it able to come this far from the wall with such weak legs.
6. Season 2 Episode 1, Beast Titan
In the first episode of the second season, we see the emergence of an apelike Beast Titan which adds to the already deep and twisted mystery surrounding the Titans. We learn the fact that there is a Titan sealed within the wall. This discovery is made by Hange Zoe and her team. Pastor Nick of the Wall Cult arrives and asks them to cover the Titan with a sheet and protect it from sunlight. Hange inquires about the wall Titan but Pastor Nick keeps mum about the issue. Even death threats from Hange does not manage to get anything out of him. This makes her suspect that there are more Titans like this.
Erwin learns that Titans are within the city due to the breach of Wall Rose. We are then taken 12 hours back in time when Miche Zacharius spots incoming Titans and asks his team to inform the villages and the capital while he holds the Titans off. He is successful in buying enough time. But when he is about to escape a Beat Titan with an apelike appearance comes and injures him. The Titan is able to talk and strips Miche off his gear leaving him as fodder for other Titans.
5. Season 1 Episode 24, Mercy: Assault on Stohess, Part 2
The second last episode of the first season tells us the shocking truth about the female Titan being none other than Annie. Erwin and Armin figure out that the female Titan is Annie and they create a plan to capture her. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin are being chased by the Female Titan and they just manage to escape a tunnel collapse. Eren tries to turn into a Titan but he is not able to do so. Mikasa understands that his feelings for Annie are preventing him to transform. Another tunnel collapse occurs and Eren is separated from them. Meanwhile, the Military Police Regiment is confused by the events and holds Erwin at gunpoint demanding an explanation from him. Mikasa and Armin try to distract Annie away from Eren. Armin tells Eren that if he does not sacrifice he can never change anything. So, he needs to fight Annie if he wishes to change the future. The words of Armin hit the spot as Eren is finally able to transform into a Titan. He then charges towards Annie and crashes into a cathedral.
4. Season 1 Episode 8, I Can Hear His Heartbeat: The Struggle for Trost, Part 4
Well, this episode is a huge turning point in the entire anime and gives us hints about Eren’s special powers. Mikasa, Armin, and the others are deeply affected by the death of Eren especially Mikasa. But they continue their fight against the monsters. They learn that Titans are present in the supply depot. Armin thinks of a plan to defeat the Titans using the mysterious Titan who is fighting the other Titans. The others agree with his plan and kill the Titans attacking the mysterious Titan. They then lead him to the Titans at the supply depot. Their plan works but the Titans who are inside the fuel storage area remain. Armin hatches another plan to take down the seven Titans. Thankfully, this plan works too and they are able to fill their fuel tanks and flee. But while escaping, they see that the mysterious Titan defeated the other Titans and collapsed. But then they see Eren’s body emerging from within the Titan which shocks them. Armin notices that Eren’s limbs have somehow regenerated. Mikasa is overjoyed she reaches for Eren and replies that she can hear his heartbeat.
Read More: Best One Punch Man Episodes, Ranked
3. Season 1 Episode 6, The World the Girl Saw: The Struggle for Trost, Part 2
This episode is an important one in the series since it lets us know about the relationship between Eren and Mikasa. It also gives us a glimpse of their past and what they have been through. Armin wakes up and finds himself surrounded by his friends in the military. He remembers the incident that has happened and starts blaming himself for not being strong enough to save Eren. Meanwhile, an abnormal Titan approaches the city which Mikasa takes care of. She then threatens a greedy merchant to let the people pass and is thanked in return by a mother and her daughter. Mikasa then has a flashback about the time she was with her own parents. Three slave traders wanted to sell her and thus murdered her parents. Thankfully, Eren is able to track the traders. In an attempt to save Mikasa, he kills two of the traders but the third one catches him. He then encourages Mikasa to muster up the courage to take down the third trader. Mikasa then complies and kills the third trader. Since then, Mikasa has been staying with Eren’s family.
2. Season 1 Episode 5, First Battle: The Struggle for Trost, Part 1
In the fifth episode of the series, The Colossal Titan breaks the cannons mounted on the walls of the city as Eren is able to reach the weak point of the Titan. But the Titan suddenly vanishes into a burst of steam. The Police Regiment get down to evacuate civilians before the Titans attack again. This episode made me click on the next episode quite fast since we see Eren being consumed by a bearded Titan. Eren and Armin have the duty to provide backup to the front lines. Soon, Titans begin appearing and Eren decides to put his training into practice. He recalls that all he needs to do is cut the nape of the neck. But things go awfully wrong as their comrades are eaten one by one by the Titans. Eren loses his leg in the process. Armin is unable to move due to fear and a bearded Titan almost swallows him as Eren jumps in the Titans mouth and saves Armin but instead, gets his arm severed as the Titan swallows him.
Read More: Best Anime Movies of All Time
1. Season 1 Episode 1, To You, in 2000 Years: The Fall of Shiganshina, Part 1
The first episode of the ‘Attack on Titan’ series is quite pivotal in setting the tone. We don’t get much action in the beginning, though we learn of large humanoid monsters which humans call Titans. Titans are humongous and treat humans as fodder. It is due to them that the human race is close to extinction. The surviving humans have built a city and surrounded it with three 50 meters walls to prevent the Titans from entering. But the unfortunate happens as a huge 60 meters Colossal Titan appears and breaks open the gate to the city allowing smaller Titans to enter. Eren Yeager, the protagonist of the story, along with his adoptive sister, is forced to see his mom being eaten alive by a smiling Titan.
Read More: Best Magic Anime of All Time
