Attack on Titan Ending: How Did Hajime Isayama Drop Hints Right From The Beginning

Attack on Titan’s ending is canon to the Manga, which concluded in 2021. However, it deviates slightly, adding a positive hue.

Published on May 29, 2024  |  08:24 PM IST |  122K
Exploring How Hajime Isayama Dropped Hints Right From The Beginning in Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan (PC: MAPPA, Crunchyroll)

Attack on Titan, a massive success in pop culture, effectively portrays timeless themes like war, sacrifice, and love, making it a timeless classic that will be remembered for generations to come. The anime adaptation won multiple prizes during the 3rd Newtype Anime Awards, including Best Director, Best Script, Best Soundtrack, Best Theme Song, Top Female Character and Title of the Year.

It received the award for Best TV Animation at the 2013 Animation Kobe Awards. It received the award for Animation of the Year at the 2014 Tokyo Anime Award, along with, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Music.[90] It won the 2013 Digital Contents of the Year Award at Japan's 19th annual Association of Media in Digital (AMD) Awards.The series became the first anime to win an Astra TV Award for Best Streaming Animated Series or TV Movie at the inaugural Astra Creative Arts TV Awards.

Attack on Titan’s ending is canon to the Manga, which concluded in 2021. However, it deviates slightly, adding a positive hue.

Exploring the ending of Attack on Titan 

Attack on Titan's finale, Toward The Tree On That Hill, follows manga chapters 134-139, where Mikasa kills Eren to stop the Rumbling. Eren's plan was to stop the world from hating the Eldians of Paradis Island by becoming an object to hate on, requiring the Eldians and Marleyans to unite.

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Eren, aware of his friends' potential, successfully pursued his goal of achieving complete freedom for himself and the Eldians. He aspired to live beyond the walls, experience the glimmering oceans, and enjoy the beautiful snow-frosted icy lands, despite being perceived as the Villain.

Attack on Titan ( MAPPA, Crunchyroll)

Toward The Tree On That Hill follows Eren in his titan form as he moves towards Fort Salta, while various characters, including Armin, Mikasa, Levi, Reiner, Annie, Gabi, and Falco, are on a steamship. Reiner attempts to break Zeke's connection with Eren, but fails. The titan shifters appear to be fighting for Eren, with the characters barely escaping their enemies.

Armin gets trapped in a titan’s mouth. However, he gets transported to the paths where he meets Zeke because of Eren’s powers by wielding the founding Titan.

Zeke teaches him about life's goal of multiplying and Ymir's love for King Fritz. Former titan wielders, Gabi and Levi, fight back against the Titan, and Armin is freed from the Titan's mouth by Mikasa.

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Zeke is ready to be killed by his rival, Levi. Jean, with the help of Titans, blows Eren's head off with a detonator. Armin transforms into a titan to destroy Eren's transformation, but fails. Mikasa and Eren spend four years together in a separate timeline, two months after the end of Marley's war.

Mikasa returns to the battlefield and kills Eren with a final slash, making it as painless as possible. After that, we are transported to Paradis Island, where Eren and Armin are children. Eren reveals his intentions to Armin, aiming to be an object of hate and be hailed as a hero.

Eren discusses the suffering of Ymir, who suffered for over 2000 years and was saved by Mikasa. He shares his head's wreckage, as the founding Titan's power exists simultaneously. He shares the grim reality of how he sent that wide-toothed Titan to eat his mom, as Bertholdt had to stay alive for the future. Armin holds his hand to comfort him.

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In a beautiful sea scene, Armin confronts Eren about Mikasa, treating him like a besto friend and expressing gratitude for his help. This conversation takes place on a steamship with Annie and becomes implanted in Armin's memories after Eren's death.

Attack on Titan ( MAPPA, Crunchyroll)

In the battle scene, Mikasa holds Eren's head and gives him a proper burial. She bids farewell to Ymir and three years later, Historia becomes the Queen of Paradis Island. A ship with other characters approaches the Island for peace talks.

Levi is seen handing out candy to children. Gabi and Falco have grown up and are planting a tree, symbolizing peace. Mikasa is under the tree next to Eren’s grave. A bird appears to wrap the red scarf around her. In the end, Mikasa’s burial is seen, and her red scarf is by her side.

Exploring the Attack on Titan post credit scene 

In the post-credit scene, Isayama creatively depicted how the vicious cycle of violence repeats in life. Despite Eren’s efforts and massive sacrifices, in the end, Paradis Island is bombed and is claimed by nature, as seen by the man with his dog.

The post-credit scene initially depicts Paradis Island as a revolutionized metropolis, but a new war breaks out, symbolizing the never-ending cycle of conflict. At the very end, a man and a dog explore the area and enter a tree quite similar to the one Ymir had sought refuge in and gained the Titan powers.

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With this, another cycle of titans and wars will be repeated. This element of realism is what makes Attack on Titan stand out. This unhappy yet realistic ending has upset fans worldwide as it doesn’t cater to their romantic ideals; after all, the hero is supposed to live on.

However, that is different from how the real world works, and Hajime Isayama, the creator of the manga, wanted to show that.

ALSO READ: Naruto Anime Returns After 17 Years with New Episodes for 20th Anniversary; Deets Here

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