Attack on Titan has taken us on a journey of sadness, despair, and oftentimes hope. With the show airing its fourth and final season, we’re going to look back at the 15 best moments that Attack on Titan has produced thus far. I’ll be mainly focusing on the quiet, but impactful moments throughout the series, so full battles are excluded from this list.

(Warning: There will be spoilers ahead from seasons one through four, so please don’t read if you haven’t caught up to the series at this point.)

15) Eren and Carla Jaeger’s final moments (Season One Episode 1: To You, in 2000 Years: The Fall of Shiganshina)

Shit has hit the fan at this point. The Titans have broken down the wall of Shiganshina and those murdering bastards are looking for their next meal. Of course, when Eren and Mikasa rush back to their home we expect the worst, but pray to the heavens for the best.

Unfortunately, Carla is trapped under her destroyed home and all seems lost at this point. The heart-wrecking final moments between Eren and Carla was a highly nerve-wracking scene. While it was no surprise to see Carla eventually chowed down by the Smiling Titan, we as the audience hoped that a white knight would provide an ex-machina and save the day. Hannes appeared to be that white knight until he creamed his pants when  facing  the Smiling Titan.

We didn’t know much about Carla, but we hoped for the best because she was simply a mother trying to protect her family. While there are plenty of directions that the show could’ve taken for Eren to begin his journey to kill all the Titans, having his mother die in such a horrific manner not only set the tone for what's to come but gave the protagonist a strong motivation that audiences can get behind.

• Eren’s stubbornness to accept that his mother is dead
• Carla’s emotional plead for Eren and Mikasa to get far away as they can
• Hannes cowering once he comes face to face against the Smiling Titan
• Carla telling Eren that she loves him before being devoured by the Smiling Titan

14) Eren is eaten by a Titan (Season One Episode 5: First Battle/ Attack on Trost, Part 1)

Look, I’m not advocating for cannibalism here, but I would be lying if I wasn’t hoping that Armin was the man eaten here, not Eren. At this point, Armin was the complete opposite of his best friends, a total wimp who had accepted his death when he simply let the Titan swallow him until Eren pulled a hail mary to save his ass.

Eren was the protagonist here. So it was a complete “holy f**k” moment when the creature ate the soldier like he was a nobody. This created a sense of unpredictability about the show and highlighted that this was a war and ANYBODY could die at any moment.

• Armin frozen in fear as the Titan eats him with ease
• Eren saving Armin in the nick of time
• The Titan devouring Eren after his final words

13) Eren puts the boulder in front of the wall (Season One Episode 13: Primal Desire/ Attack on Trost Part 9)

So Eren is a freaking Titan. And his soldiers must defend a monster that they don’t truly know. What’s so gripping about this particular moment is the mystery behind Eren’s Titan form. This tension was heightened when the Cadet soldier attacked Mikasa and seemingly wanted to kill one of his best friends.

Will Eren become one of these mindless creatures and seek to destroy humanity? Can a man with this ability truly be trusted? These are just some of the questions that get the mind wondering about the direction of the show (in a good way) and it created a compelling arc for such a simple task.

However, this story isn’t just about Eren as this massively affects the soldiers who are forced to defend him. The poor men and women are essentially doing a suicide mission here. It was nice to see Jean step up and take charge. And it was understandable that the other cadets questioned Ian on his insistence on continuing the mission.

While the stunning visuals also aid this episode in creating a powerful moment, it was the fact that humanity was finally given a small victory that carved an interesting path for what’s to come. Despite some fallen comrades (most notably Marco), the battle was won. Though the war was far from over.

• Doubts of whether Eren could move the boulder
• Armin snapping Eren out of his weak state
• The Cadets defending Eren from the other Titans
• Eren putting the boulder in front of the wall

12)  Eren and the Court Marshall (Season One Still Can’t Look Him in the Eye/Eve of the Counteroffensive, Part 1)

This wasn’t an action-packed episode by any means (unless you count Captain Levi beating the sh*t out Eren as action-packed), but this was still filled with drama. Can we trust Eren? Was the center focus here; Sure, Eren saved the city thanks to his unique ability, but his Titan form was still considered dangerous.

The fact that the Military Police saw Jaeger as nothing more than a test subject was surprising, though you understand their point of view on why Eren can’t be trusted. The Scouts' intentions seemed good here, but who’s to say that Commander Erwin and Captain Levi didn’t have a hidden agenda of their own? Just when it seemed that Eren was a dead man, Captain Levi called an audible and beat the hell out of Jaeger to prove that he wasn’t as much of a threat as everyone is making it out to be.

An intriguing episode that provided plenty of drama, but still left some mystery when it was decided that Jaeger could join the Scouts, should he be successful in his recon mission outside of the walls.

• The Arguments on whether Eren is a threat to society
• Eren’s emotional speech calling everyone cowards
• Captain Levi beating the crap out of Eren to prove that he’s not a threat

11) Armin, Jean, and the Cadets choose to become Scouts (Season One Episode 16 What Should I Do Now/Eve of the Counteroffensive Part 3)

I always value the tender moments like this as they carry as much weight as an action-packed episode in Attack on Titan. These men and women have been through hell thus far so surely, choosing to become a Scouts is not an easy decision.

As I’ve stated previously in my Top 10 Attack on Titan Episodes article that I love the show’s depiction of war and the humanity behind the men and women who sacrifice their lives just to keep the world safe.  These guys aren’t invincible heroes who can kick ass at a moment’s notice. Thus, when they’re scared, we’re scared and pray for the best. When they win a battle, we pound our chest and feel like we’ve won the war because of our attachment to these characters.

When given the option, it’s understandable if these cadets decided to simply walk away from the fight. However, what’s notable here is Jean’s immediate decision to join the Scouts, along with Armin. Both men have come a long way since their introduction earlier in the season.

While lacking high-tension as the previous entries, the character growth and nice moment of seeing the cadets graduate into Scouts put a smile on plenty of faces. With a show that has plenty of dark scenes, nice moments like this are always welcome, despite the looming threat of death and Titans.

• Jean and Armin quickly deciding to become a Scout
• Ymir trying to sway the cadets from joining the Scouts
•  Jean's internal battle about joining the Scouts when dozens of soldiers walk away
• The Scouts ceremony

10) Sasha Protects A Little Girl (Season Two Episode 2: I’m Home)

Imagine the horror of watching your mother being eaten by a giant Titan right in front of your eyes. Episode two was more of a personal story for Sasha, who returned home based on the threat of more Titans around the area. At first, it appears that it was going to be another sad story when the Scouts soldier entered the ghost town and saw one of those behemoths casually snacking on a helpless woman.

Eventually, Sasha managed to protect the girl by fighting off the Titan and caught up to her father and other citizens, who gave his daughter a sweet compliment as they charged away from the town. This episode did an excellent job highlighting Sasha’s values as a character and giving her the “hero” treatment here.

While there’s no doubt that the little girl will need therapy after watching her mother being eaten alive, it’s nice that the show didn’t take the darker path of killing off the kid. This moment surely endeared audiences to the elite soldier , while adding more depth to Sasha’s overall character.

• A Titan casually chowing down a woman as the daughter looks on in horror
• The Flashback with Sasha and her father
• Sasha gouging the eyes of the giant
• Sasha’s father returning and giving his daughter the seal of approval

9) The Beast Titan talks (Season Two Episode 1: Beast Titan)

There’s just no rest for these men and women. Following their triumph at the end of season one, we were immediately reminded of the constant threats in Attack on Titan. Easily, the discovery of a Titan inside the wall could’ve been the big moment here; however, that is eclipsed by a F**KING GIANT BEAST TITAN!

Just when it appears that Miche would save the day, the huge behemoth makes his first appearance and uses one of the horses to take down the elite soldier. Suddenly, the Beast Titan speaks (well, after squashing a titan who didn’t listen to his command) casually about the ODM Gear.

Before season two, audiences were told that the Titans were hungry behemoths who didn't speak. This moment introduced a human side of these creatures that also added a scary dimension to their characters. The beast Titan made a strong introduction not just because he can speak, but for all the questions that would be eventually answered in the series. Just who are these monsters? Are they human? Or creatures from another planet? Is easily the biggest mystery coming out of this episode.

• The Beast Titan picking up a horse and launching it at Miche
• The Beast Titan casually speaking to Miche about the ODM Gear
• Miche being in shock and horrified over the situation
• Miche’s final moments before The Beast Titan orders the others to kill him

8) Conny hears his mother calling out for him (Season Two Episode 3: Southwestward)

Unfortunately, Conny didn't have the same homecoming as Sasha in episode two. Granted, Sasha walked into one of those giant bastards having a normal human meal, but the end results saw Sasha reunite with her father.

Coming in, Conny’s hometown was also a ghost town with a giant Titan chilling on top of a destroyed house. Problem is, bodies were mysteriously missing. It’s naturally chalked up that his folks were able to escape the place unharmed, but all the clues pointed to something different. Then, as everyone leaves the desolate town, the Titan faintly says “Welcome Home” to Conny.

The "Beast" episode established that Titans can talk, though that hairy monster was considered abnormal. Here, the female titan appeared to be a regular mindless, freak, so it was shocking to get such a revelation. This moment is pivotal as if pretty much confirmed that these creatures weren't some mysterious being from another planet, but that these were actual human beings transformed into Titans.

• Conny’s reaction to the destruction of his hometown
• Commander Hange giving Conny false hope by stating that the villagers evacuated the town
• The Titan weakly saying “Welcome Home” to Conny
• Conny’s stunned reaction and score following the words from the Titan

7) Ymir reveals that she’s a Titan (Season Two Episode Four: Soldier)

Conny's return to home wasn't the only focus of episode three as Scouts checked the landscape for any remaining Titans. This section of the story mainly puts eyes on the relationship between Ymir and Christa (Historia). Thus far, it's been clear that Ymir has done everything possible to protect Christa, but this episode highlighted a mystery brewing regarding the Scouts soldier.

Once the Scouts reached the Castle, red flags started popping up regarding the elite warrior. Ymir's dismissal of Conny's statement of overhearing a Titan talk to him was one. The other came when she found a can of food in a completely different language.

It was a cool moment that provided a nice ex-machina for our heroes in peril. This further hammered home that Titans are human beings and the payoff to Conny's discovery in episode three was great.

• Gelgar and Nanaba kicking ass before their demise
• Ymir’s final statement to Crista as they’re being bombarded by Titans
• Ymir’s transformation into a Titan

6)  Eren kills The Smiling Titan (Season Two Episode 12: Scream)

Audiences knew that they were in for a wild ride the moment we saw that behemoth in the first few seconds of the show. This battle wasn’t just about Eren getting his revenge, but Hannes redeeming himself after cowering away in their first encounter.

Look, I think we all knew that Hannes was on borrowed time after he intercepted the attack on Mikasa (especially with Eren having a hard time transforming), but we rooted for the guy as he showed tremendous heart in his final moments of combat.

All hope seemed lost once Hannes was finally eaten. Mikasa was saying her goodbyes. The other soldiers were outnumbered by the giants and the haunting score confirmed that their fates were sealed. Then, Eren lets out a battle cry that would make King Leonidas proud. The Smiling Titan was eventually devoured thanks to Eren’s newfound ability to command other Titans, and the tragic moment turns into a joyous celebration due to the death of the Smiling Titan. The toying of emotions is at full display in this simple sequence, which also continued the evolution of Jaeger's Titan ability.

• Hannes fighting the Smiling Titan until the bitter end
• Mikasa confessing her feelings for Eren
• Eren unknowingly calling for help from other Titans
• The Smiling Titan being devoured by his own kind

5) Historia’s tragic past (Season Three Episode 3: Old Story)

It's a complete shock that Historia didn't turn out to be some crazed psychopath after hearing her heartbreaking story regarding her past. Historia details her estranged relationship with her mother, who's traumatized by a major event that likely comes as a result due to an encounter with a Titan. While we don't understand the full story regarding Alma's past, the woman raising the young Scout soldier was a cold and detached human being who used books to distract her from the real world.

It was no surprise when Alma left the young girl behind; however, it was simply shocking that she disowned Historia  after she’s caught by Kenny “The Ripper”. Imagine if the final words from your mother were, “If only you had never been born”. After watching her mother’s throat being slit open, Rod Reiss stepped in and made a deal with Kenny, leading to the life of Christa Lenz.

• Young Historia simply wanting attention from Alma
• The negative reaction Alma gave Historia when the young girl tried to hug her
• Alma’s cold words before Kenny slits her throat
• Rod Reiss protecting Historia by giving her a new identity

4) Eren learns that he killed his father Grisha Yaeger (Season Three Episode 6: Sin)

The disappearance of Grisha Yaeger has always been a mystery. While we've gotten flashbacks of Eren’s father throughout the seasons, Yaeger vanished early in season one. At the same time, Eren had his father’s key around his neck following the attack on Shiganshina; however, Grisha had the key with him before the attack.

Thanks to Historia and Rod Reiss, we finally understood  what happened to Grisha. It appeared  Eren encountered him inside of the woods, was injected by the syringe, and turned into a Titan. From there, Eren ate his father to gain his incredible power.

While we’re not given much time to let this information sink in due to the episode being jam-packed with other events within the world of Titan, this officially closed the chapter on the disappearance of Grisha Yaeger.

• Historia and Rod Reiss show Eren the events of his past
• We learn more about Grisha being a Titan
• The events leading up to Grisha’s death is showcased

3) Historia makes her decision (Season Three Episode 7: Wish)

The focus for the past two episodes has been on Historia’s family legacy and why she’s been called to become a Titan. However, was Rod telling the truth or was he full of shit? Naturally, it would make sense that Historia would side with her father and cling to every word that he says. Rod was truly the only bloodline that Historia had at this point and showcased the love that the young girl always wanted from her mother.

However, we didn’t need Kenny to understand that Reiss was a manipulating bastard who was afraid of taking the syringe himself. Back in episode six, Rod initially showed his colors as a worm by disowning Historia so Kenny didn’t kill him too. Of course, Rod is an intelligent figure and came up with an idea that would let Historia live to see another day.

This moment would change the course for Attack on Titan in the next several episodes that would end with Historia being the one to kill her father, but the development of both characters here helped make their story towards the end more impactful.

• Kenny calls out Rod Reiss for his bullshit
• A desperate Rod tries to get Historia to take the syringe
• Historia finally sees the light and destroys the syringe
• Historia saves Eren

2) Armin uses himself as a diversion for the Colossal Titan (Season Three Episode 17: Hero)

Armin is a HERO. The same guy who was the very definition of a wimp in season one helped kill The Colossal Titan. As previously stated, Armin was never portrayed as a badass like Mikasa or Eren; however, Armin's smarts have saved plenty of asses as the show progressed. The scared soldier who allowed a Titan to eat him back in season one was a brave warrior willing to fight the good fight by season three.

Armin taking the heat from the Colossal Titan was an awe-inspiring moment for the character and this moment would also change Armin’s direction going forward. With Mikasa delivering the final blow to Reiner and Eren getting the better of Bertholdt, the Colossal and Armored Titans were finally beaten.

• Flashbacks between Armin and Eren
• Eren pretending to be weak and frail
• Armin taking the attack from The Colossal Titan head on
• Eren blindsiding the behemoth and successfully killing The Colossal Titan

1) Gabi fools the Mid-East Allied Forces (Season Four Episode 1: The Other Side Of The Sea)

Season Four of Attack on Titan started with a bang when audiences were instantly thrust into the war between Mid-East Allied Forces and Marley. There was a lot to unpack with this season premiere, with the sight of The Armored and Beast Titan fighting to save humanity, the visual of soldiers transforming in the sky, but before we got to the chaos and destruction at the end, we're introduced to several new characters, with the stand out being Gabi.

Gabi’s quirkiness and arrogance made for a fun introduction to the character, and her sacrificing herself to prove that she’s worthy of being the Armored Titan provided an intense scene that highlighted her overall character. The Marley soldier fooled the Mid-East Allied Forces by pretending to be a hapless girl caught in the middle of a war, but her quick wit and spunk gave her allies the help that they needed.

• Gabi’s sharp wit and confidence as a soldier
• Gabi convincing the commander to put off the risky mission
• Gabi posing as a hapless civilian
• The Mid-East Allied Soldier deciding whether to shoot the Marley soldier or not
• Gabi successfully launching the grenade at the moving train

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