The Attack On Titan universe is defined through its many explosive battles and the tragedies that come after them. With frequent bloody conflicts, mostly between giants and technology, disaster has struck at numerous points throughout the series.
Some have had astronomically high body counts, while others’ impact is fairly isolated. Regardless, all disasters have led to permanent consequences for the anime’s cast of characters and made for the most important moments of the entire series. The anime’s worst conflicts prompt audiences to question who are the heroes and if the ends actually justify the means.
This article contains spoilers for Attack on Titan’s final manga chapters.
10 Choosing Between Armin & Erwin
The aftermath of Shiganshina’s reclamation was painful. Given how Armin had sacrificed himself when distracting Bertholdt, Eren and Mikasa felt that he’d earned the Colossal Titan. However, Levi argued that Paradis needed Erwin more. The dispute became so hostile that weapons were soon drawn.
However, Eren was too important of a resource to lose, and Armin’s restoration was in accordance with Erwin’s will. While Armin ultimately took the power of the Colossal Titan, other characters like Floch quietly resented him for what was ultimately an unwise decision.
9 The Attack On Utgard
When Zeke’s titans cornered the Scouts at Utgard, it prompted a desperate bid for survival. The Scouts may have held out for a time, but titans breached the interior of tower and were quickly ripping apart the walls. This invasion pushed multiple characters past their breaking points.
For example, Ymir finally transformed into the Jaw Titan and ripped through the enemy ranks. Similarly, Reiner hurled a titan from the castle using raw strength and exposed himself as the Armored Titan soon after. He justified that given the stress he just endured, he could not keep up his masquerade any longer.
8 The Royal Family’s Massacre
Grisha Yeager understood the royal family’s apathy toward Paradis’ plight and begged them to reconsider. Since they ignored him, Eren used the Paths to pressure his father into violence. Overwhelmed by the death of his wife and haunted by a vision from his son, Grisha massacred nearly the entire Reiss clan with his bare hands.
After consuming the Founding Titan, he reclaimed the key to Paradis’ salvation and transformed Eren into a titan so that he could determine the country’s future. Rod Reiss survived the massacre, transforming into a titan and nearly destroying the island many years later.
7 The First Attack On Shiganshina
The first attack on Shiganshina was the catalyst for the entire series. Reiner and Bertholdt’s bloody invasion meant the end of a century’s peace and that Paradis itself could no longer avoid the threats lingering outside the walls.
Most importantly, the death of Carla Yeager set Eren down a path of revenge that defined the rest of his life. The only thing that changed between adolescence and adulthood was that he now blamed outsiders for ruining everything, rather than mindless pure titans and the shifters who utilized them.
6 The Failed Eldian Uprising
The failed Eldian uprising may have only been a cliff note in the narrative, yet it had staggering implications. For example, its participants were punitively transformed into titans and unleashed on Paradis in order to better corral the island’s population.
Similarly, it guided Grisha to the island, whose secrets about the world outside enlightened the Scouts and forced them to reconcile with who the real enemy was. By breaking the illusion forcibly instilled by the Founding Titan, it made conflict between Paradis and the rest of the world all but inevitable.
5 The War For Liberio
The war for Liberio was a grave disaster for both Marley and Paradis. It made the former realize how little leverage they actually had, cost them the War Hammer Titan, and decimated the entire navy. Moreover, it cost the nation Willy Tybur, its most venerated hero and secret leader.
Paradis suffered in different ways. It completely eroded whatever trust remained between the Scouts and Eren to such an extent that the elite military officials even contemplated killing him. Sasha’s death was their biggest casualty and completely devastated the friends she’d grown up alongside.
4 Erwin’s Death Charge
The Scouts faced a serious predicament in the battle for Shiganshina. Zeke completely blocked off their escape and could crush his enemies with showers of boulders if not addressed properly. Heroically, Erwin led a charge comprised of the bravest Scouts, fully aware that it would most likely result in his death.
Zeke’s stones shredded the heroes’ forces, butchering men and horses alike until only Floch remained. Erwin did not die in vain; he bought Levi the time he needed to attack and nearly kill Zeke. Unfortunately, Pieck rescued him before the captain could determine his fate. All the same, the Scouts almost lost their entire regiment in a single fateful battle.
3 The Poisoning Of Paradis’ Officials
Zeke carefully curated a plan to usurp the Eldian government. By using Marleyan resources to drug Paradis’ officials, he gained the option of transforming them into titans at any time. Levi’s Scouts were similarly afflicted, with only the captain avoiding the transformation.
This plan had disastrous implications for Paradis’ stability. It allowed Zeke the chance to escape Levi, ruined any chance of thwarting the Yeagerist coup, and transformed Pyxis into a feral titan who attacked his former friends.
2 The Rumbling
After fully unlocking the Founding Titan’s power, Eren unleashed the Rumbling. It enabled a burning crusade across the planet that resulted in widespread destruction and ruin. Entire nations were obliterated, with virtually none surviving amidst the titans’ decidedly murderous wake.
Eventually, the Allied Coalition stopped Eren from destroying what remained of humanity. However, they arrived so late that eighty percent of the global population had already been lost. As a result, it was difficult for Eldian relations with the rest of the world to be improved even if they ultimately saved everyone’s lives.
1 The Bombing Of Paradis
Although the Rumbling was a disaster, the bombing of Paradis was even worse. The survivors of Eren’s attack had descendants who loathed Paradis for destroying their futures. It resulted in a war between Eldians and non-Eldians, this time without any titan influence.
In the last scenes of the series, Paradis was bombed into smoldering rubble. Given that Floch and the Yeagerists predicted such a fate if they failed, it further complicated the series’ message and made who had been the heroes from the beginning even more ambiguous.