WARNING: Heavy spoilers ahead.
Today, Nov. 5, is the day! It’s the release date of the last episode of one of the best animés of all time—Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin).
I was among those disappointed by how the manga ended. There were rumors that the ending will be different from the original source, but there have been no confirmations on that yet. Until we see the 85-minute finale, we will never know.
Whatever the ending turns out to be in the animé, nothing will diminish the fact that Shingeki no Kyojin will remain one of the titans of animé for a very long time—alongside Naruto, Bleach, One Peace, and Dragon Balls—because of its gray characters, the complicated plot, and of course, Hange Zoë.
Before the episode is released today, let’s refresh our memories about the timeline of events. Starting with
Ymir gains power of the titans
A slave girl was given powers of an unknown source, becoming the first titan. Despite the mistreatment by King Fritz, Ymir the titan served him and even bore his children. She also helped build his empire and fight the enemy tribe, Marley. Ymir’s daughters, Sheena, Rose, and Maria, cannibalized her after she dies protecting the king from an assassination. The daughters become titans. In the Paths, a metaphysical place, the wandering soul of Ymir forges new titans.
Every 13 years, titans who inherit their powers will die. Before the three Ymir daughters died, the were able to give their powers to what would soon be called the Nine Titans. These titans were instrumental to the defeat of Marley and start of the Eldian Empire. The Nine Titans were the Founding, Armored, Attack, Beast, Cart, Colossus, Female, Jaw, and War Hammer.
*NOTE: I am using BC here for the the time period before Year 1 in the “Attack on Titan” calendar.
Ackermans were born as a result of experiments
In-fighting began among the noble families that inherited the titans’ powers.
The Ackerman Clan became the sword and shield of the Fritz Family. They are immune to the powers of the titans including the powers to erase memories.
Titans used to murder Marleyans
Marleyan historians claim that titans were used to murder many of their ancestors during the “Fall of Lago,” the “Devastation of Monte,” and the “Ravaging of Valle,” killed many Marleyans. These histories are disputed.
Pandemic
Using the power of the Founding Titan, the Eldian king altered the biology of Eldians as a response to a pandemic that was devastating the world. This saved many Eldians from the pandemic.
The Great Titan War
King Karl Fritz denounces his family’s history of genocide against the Marleyans. Karl Fritz has the Founding Titan while the Tybur Family, which he conspires with to plan the downfall of the genocidal Eldians, has the War Hammer Titan. Together, the two families come up with the legend of a war hero named Helos, who defeated the titans and forced Karl Fritz to flee to Paradis Island. Paradis Island becomes Karl Fritz’s new home, where he uses the Founding Titan to instruct Collosus Titans to make up the walls Maria, Rose, and Sheena to protect the Eldians from the rest of the world.
The Hizuru clans were invited in this Paradis Island. Their shoguns join the Eldians, but their siding with the Eldians would soon be seen negatively by those remaining in Marley.
Back in Marley, the remaining Eldian houses were defeated by the Marleyans, who took over control of the remaining eight titans. The Tybur Family sided with the Marleyans. The Eldians who stayed in Marley became oppressed citizens.
The Marleyan government builds up on the legend of Helos. In this new mythology, Helos defeated the Devil of All Earth, the creature that gave Ymir her power.
Vow renouncing war
Karl Fritz made a vow renouncing war. This ideology was inherited by the Founding Titan. Therefore, no Founding Titans has expressed interested in fighting against the other titans in Marley.
Karl Fritz erased the memories of the Eldians in Paradis Island. Now, the Eldians inside the wall believe the false history that the rest of the world was eaten by titans. The clans Ackerman and Azumabito were immune to this memory wipe. These two clans would soon have disagreements with the king and become Fritz’ enemies.
The Reiss Family, a false monarch, became the new government while the Fritz Family is in hiding.
Cult of Ymir
Back in Marley, a cult dedicated to Ymir Fritz was formed. A homeless girl becomes the symbol of Ymir as the cult members believe she is Ymir’s reincarnation.
Cult of Ymir no more
The Marleyan government learns about the cult and arrests the homeless girl. She is then turned into a pure titan at the border of Paradis Island.
Grisha and Faye Yeager
Grisha and Faye Yeager wander outside the interment camps in Liberio, a city in Marley. As Eldians, they are outcasts in Marley. They were found out by security personnel, Grisha was punished but Eren Kruger, one of the officers, let him see the blimp that they were following. Meanwhile, Faye was taken away by another officer. Grisha soon finds out that his sister was fed to Marleyan guard dogs.
Eren Kruger inherits the Attack Titan
Kruger acquires the power of the Attack Titan from an unnamed predecessor.
Grisha joins the restorationists
Grisha joins the Eldian Restorationists, a radical group in Marley determined to restore the glory of the Eldian Empire and destroy Marley. Through this group, he meets Dina Fritz, who he later marries. Their son Zeke is born a year later.
About the same year, inside the walls in Paradis Island, a certain teacher named Smith tells his son about his theory that the Eldians’ memories were erased. This theory was told to the son, who later told this theory to other students. The military hears this and then tortures teacher Smith, but his death was covered up as an accident.
Kenny Ackerman
The criminal Kenny Ackerman learns about the history of the Ackermans and plans to assassinate King Uri Reiss (who by this year has already inherited the Founding Titan through his father). Ackerman’s plan fails, but he is forgiven. He becomes the king’s right hand man and becomes an officer of the independent military arm First Interior Squad.
Later this year, his prostitute sister dies. He takes care of her son Levi for a while, but leaves him eventually. Will we ever know Levi’s father in the animé? Probably not.
Zeke becomes a double agent
The Marleyan government focuses its glance over at Paradis Island for its resources. The government then puts up a program for children of Eldian descent to be Marley Warriors. These warriors will inherits the titans in the government’s possession. Grisha convinces Zeke to be one of the candidates for this program.
Grisha inherits the Attack Titan
By playing catch with him, Zeke becomes close with the Beast Titan, Tom Ksaver, who would then convince him to turn his parents in to gain the trust of the Marley government and as retribution to all indoctrination and the pressure they have put on him. Grisha and Dina Yeager were then arrested and tortured. Eren Kruger was overseeing the tortures. The Eldian Restorationists were then sentenced to be turned as pure titans. Dina Fritz was turned.
Before turning Grisha, the Public Security Authorities were betrayed by Kruger. Kruger tells Grisha that he is “the Owl,” the anonymous leader and founder of the Eldian Restorationists. Kruger then instructs Grisha to form a family and complete his mission for Mikasa and Armin, names that Kruger learned from the memories he keep seeing. Grisha then turns into a pure titan and then eats Kruger, inheriting the Attack Titan.
Keith Shadis sees Grisha Yeager in his human form, apparently without recollection of anything, and then teaches him of the life within the walls.
If you reached this point and still aren’t confused, I am sure you do not need explanation about how these characters inherit the powers of the Nine Titans. If for some reason you still are confused, it’s quite simple. If Juan de la Cruz turns into a pure titan and then eats Pedro who has the power of any of the Nine Titans, Juan de la Cruz inherits that power, Pedro is a goner, and then Juan de la Cruz can turn into a titan whenever he likes.
Back to the timeline.
Grisha’s mission
Grisha Yeager, who by the way was a doctor in Marley, creates vaccines against an epidemic within the walls. He gains prominence and even becomes a trusted doctor by the nobilities. He uses these connections to gain information about the whereabouts of the royal family in order to locate the Founding Titan.
Eren Yeager is born
Grisha and his new wife Carla have a son they named Eren. Because of this family, Grisha sets aside his mission to find the true royal family for a while.
New Titans
Frieda Reiss inherited the Founding Titan from Uri Reiss.
Zeke Yeager inherited the Beast Titan from Ksaver. A year later, younger Eldians inherited the Female Titan (Annie Leonhart), Armored Titan (Reiner Braun), Collossus Titan (Bertolt Hoover), Jaw Titan (Marcel Galliard), and Cart Titan (Pieck Finger). They were all sent to Marley’s enemy territories, winning wars.
Eren saves Mikasa
After being abducted by criminals, Mikasa Ackerman (who may or may not be related to Kenny and Levi, who knows) is saved by Eren Yeager. She is then taken in by the Yeagers as family.
In Marley, Zeke leads a successful war against an enemy nation, cementing his leadership abilities and his skills as a controller of a titan. This is largely because of his royal blood.
Episode 1
Of course you’ve seen the first episode. Before the events of that episode, Bertolt, Reiner, Annie, and Marcel were sent to Paradis Island to begin the Paradis Island Operation, a plan to eradicate the Eldians within the walls and to take the Founding Titan. Marcel is eaten by the titan of Ymir, the homeless girl that was turned into a pure titan in the Year 785.
At the Wall Maria, the outermost of the three walls, was breached by the Marley Warriors. Bertolt as the Colossus Titan kicked a hole onto the wall, allowing the titans from the outside to enter the Shiganshina District, where the Yeagers live. The titan of Dina Fritz entered the district and ate Carla Yeager. This was witnessed by Eren Yeager, who would then vow to exterminate all of the titans. The residents of the district then were displaced to Wall Rose.
Grisha then confronts the Reiss Family. He could not slaughter the family to take the Founding Titan. Following future Eren’s orders to commit the deed, however, he was able to kill Frieda and the rest of the Reiss Family, only sparing Rod Reiss, father of Historia.
Grisha tells Eren to go back to their house in Shinganshina District to enter their basement. He then injects Eren with a serum to turn him into a titan. Eren then eats Grisha, inheriting the Founding and the Attack Titan.
Rod Reiss then takes in Historia, his illegitimate daughter. Historia is given the name Krista.
The 104th Cadet Corps
Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, their friend weak Armin Artlert join the 104th Cadet Corps. The Marley Warriors have infiltrated the corps. Ymir was also among them.
About the same time, in Marley, Zeke learns of a new ability to turn Eldians into titans by injecting his spinal fluid and screaming.
The Battle of Trost
Titan breach the Trost District. Eren Yeager is eaten by a titan, but turns into the Attack Titan. The military then sees a titan fighting another titan for the first time.
This was also the first time the 104th Training Corps fought real titans. Many of them died including Marco Bott, who overheard Reiner and Bertolt discussing something he shouldn’t have.
Armin convinces the military that they can use the help of Eren to seal the wall in Trost using a boulder. This plan succeeds.
After this “first victory of humans against the titan,” Eren is brought to a military tribunal, which then decides to hand Eren to the Survey Corps.
Hange Zoë shows Eren what they have been doing to Bean and Sonny, the two titans left alive during the Battle of Trost. Annie and Reiner secretly kill Sonny and Bean a day later.
A month after the Battle of Trost
57th Expedition Outside the Walls
The Survey Corps undertake the 57th Expedition Outside the Walls, which is disrupted by the Female Titan. Annie is searching for Eren.
Commander Erwin Smith (remember the kid whose father was tortured and killed for his theories? Yup. Erwin was that kid), successfully leads the troops in the fight against the Female Titan.
Back inside the walls, Annie was already being suspected as the Female Titan. They were right of course, and so she was captured through a plan devised by Erwin Smith. One of the walls is damaged. A colossus titan’s eye was revealed through the hole.
At the Utgard Castle, the Survey Corps were attacked by Beast Titan and other pure titans. These titans were Ragako village residents, who were injected by his spinal fluid. Ymir transforms into a titan and saves the Survey Corps.
Reiner and Bertolt casually tell Eren that they are the Colossal and Armored Titans and tried to convince him to join them back to Marley. Eren refuses and they battle. The Marley Warriors then kidnap Eren, but Erwin Smith leads a group of pure titans to Reiner, so the Survey Corps frees Eren.
When Eren makes a contact with Dina Fritz’ titan, he then becomes able to command the other titans. Reiner escapes.
Ragako Village
The scouts then realize that the titans are previously humans. This makes killing the titans more complicated for them.
Plot against the government
All the messy plot from Season 3 happened including a plot against the government, the Survey Corps being framed for the murder of Dimo Reeves, Kenny Ackerman kidnapping Eren and Historia, Rod attempting to have Historia eat Eren, Rod and Eren touching Eren to spark memories of the past, Historia refusing to eat Eren, Eren consuming a serum that granted him the ability to harden, and Rod turning into an gargantuan, faceless titan.
It’s all messy, but a beautiful mess, nonetheless.
HIstoria is then crowned as the queen.
Armin becomes the Colossus Titan
During an expedition to go to the Yeagers’ basement in Shinganshina District, the Survey Corps discover a recently abandoned camp. They are then greeted by the Armored Titan, the Beast Titan, and the Colossus Titan; and a battle fought.
They manage to defeat the Marley Warriors, but the Cart Titan and Beast Titan escaped. Armin was fatally burned. A choice had to be made between saving Erwin or Armin. In the end, Levi chose to save Armin by turning him into a pure titan and feeding him Bertolt.
During an awarding of medal for their valor, Eren touches Historia’s hand and then he is flooded by visions of the future.
Some time after this, Ymir is fed to Porco Galliard to become the new Jaw Titan. Meanwhile, Zeke meats with the Azumabito to tell them that he is truly for the Eldians.
Below are the events that started from the Season 4 of the anime.
In Paradis Island, the Shinganshina District is repopulated once again.
A Marleyan fleet to the Paradis Island was intercepted by the Survey Corps. Anti-Marleyan volunteers defect Marley, join and give the Survey corps technologies from Marley, and inform them of Zeke’s pro-Eldian plans.
Around the same time, the Marleyans are developing anti-titan technology back in the mainland.
Kiyomi Azumabito, who forges an alliance with Zeke, goes to Paradis Island to propose an allegiance. Azumabito reveals that Mikasa is a nobility from the Azumabito clan. Eren rejects Azumabito’s conditions.
The Survey Corps sneak into Marley. They meet and are welcomed by refugees, whose children steal from locals and foreigners in the city.
During a forum in Marley, one of the speakers say that the people in Paradis Island should be hated for they are devils. Upon hearing this, Eren disappears and leaves the Survey Corps. He enlists as a soldier in the Marleyan military.
Marley Mid-Eastern War ends
Zeke and the rest of the Marley Warriors lead the military to victory against the Mid-East Alliance. It is during this war that Eren faked his identity and joined the Marley military. With the help of the unsuspecting Falco, he sends letters to his allies.
In Liberio, Willy Tybur arrives with his family to forge alliance with Magath. During a festival, Tybur declares war against Paradis Island. He is then killed by Eren as the Attack Titan, then a fight between Eren and Lara Tybur as the War Hammer Titan ensues. The Survey Corps then fight the Marleyan forces. They manage to escape, but not before Sasha Blouse is killed by Gabi, one of the candidates to be the next Marley Warrior.
Back in Paradis Island, Eren is imprisoned for leaving the Survey Corps while Zeke is put under Levi Ackerman’s custody. The Anti-Marleyan Volunteers led by Yelena hand the titan fluids to Pixis.
Gabi and Falco, escaped from the Survey Corps and came across the Blouse Family.
A group that calls itself the Yeagerists protest Eren’s imprisonment. The group then successfully assassinates Commander Darius Zackly and other members of the military police. Eren escapes. Pixis negotiates with the Yeagerists. Pieck infiltrates the Paradis Island.
This timeline is currently being written. Please refresh or come back later today.
