‘Attack on Titan’ Series Finale Ending Explained: Who Survives the Rumbling? And Is This Really the End? (2024)

It’s truly the end of an era. After 10 years, the smash hit anime series Attack on Titan officially came to an end with the release of “THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 2” on Sunday, November 5. Adapted from Hajime Isayama’s 2009-2021 bestselling manga series of the same name, Attack on Titan is a dark fantasy action show that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where the remains of humanity live in safety behind giant walls that protect them from giant man-eating Titans.

That semblance of safety is irreparably shattered, however, after 100 years when the gargantuan Colassal Titan smashed through the outer wall, inciting a carnage that changes the lives of those within forever, especially that of Eren Yeager (Yuki Kaji/Bryce Papenbrook). Eren vows to kill all Titans after witnessing one eat his mother, and joins the Titan-hunting Survey Corps with his childhood friends Mikasa Ackerman (Yui Ishikawa/Trina Nishimura) and Armin Arlert (Marina Inoue/Jessie James Grelle) in order to pursue that goal.

But Eren’s life is further complicated upon realizing at the age of 15 that he has the ability to become an Attack Titan at will, forcing him to learn how to understand and harness this power in order to be used as a unique weapon to fight other Titans, or risk death at the hands of the Corps’ Captain Levi Ackerman (Hiroshi Kamiya/Matthew Mercer) should he ever lose control.

All of this is only the beginning of what turns out to be a twisting and intricately woven web that makes up the overall plot of Attack on Titan, with its latter seasons full of events and reveals that recontextualize both the entire story and what it means to be human.

So what goes down in the Attack on Titan series finale? Do Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and the rest of the remaining Scouts and Warriors survive? And is this really the end of the Attack on Titan story? Here’s everything you need to know about the ending of Attack on Titan, explained.

Major spoilers for all of Attack on Titan ahead.

What Happened in Attack on TitanSeason 4?

Produced by animation studio juggernaut, MAPPA, Attack on Titan Season 4 took the series to brand new heights. Touted as the final season, it released episodes in two parts between 2020 and 2022, and then wrapped the series up with “THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 1” on March 4, 2023, and a final special on November 5, 2023.

The season begins with a time skip that picks up four years after a Season 3 that dropped the bombshell that all Titans used to be human beings who were forced into becoming Pure Titans via Titan serum injection. We’re taken across the ocean (yes, it turns out there’s a whole world of humans out there and the isolated people of Paradis never knew they were trapped with Titans on an island) to the large empire of Marley.

But behind the seeming success and advancement of Marley, the empire is mired in a dark, contentious history between the Marleyans and Eldians, the latter of whom are descendants of Ymir Fritz, the first person to have Titan powers. The Marleyans despise the Eldians and see them as subhuman second-class citizens and force them to live subjugated in an internment zone to atone for the sins of their ancestors. Only a chosen few children are selected to become Warriors who will inherit the power of the Titans to fight for a special unit of the Marleyan military, elevating the status of said Warrior and their family.

Marley’s Warrior Unit, led by Beast Titan Zeke Yeager (Takehito Koyasu/Jason Liebrecht) are responsible for ending a four-year war with the Mid-East Allied Forces, allowing them to focus on retrieving the Founding Titan from the “Island Devils” of Paradis. They’re taken by surprise, however, when Eren and the Survey Corps come to them first, ambushing Marley with new-and-improved tech and forces. The fight ends with Eren in control of the War Hammer Titan, as well as the capture of Zeke, Gabi Braun (Ayane Sakura/Lindsay Seidel), and Falco Grice (Masaya Matsukaze/Griffin Burns), and leaves Sasha Blouse (Yū Kobayashi/Megan Shipman) dead.

From there, Marley and Paradis prepare to go to war, while Gabi and Falco are forced to confront their own prejudices while existing amongst the people they were always taught to hate. Lastly, we see Eren utilize his growing power and influence to cut ties with his friends and break off on his own to begin the Rumbling, which would unleash an army of Colossal-like Wall Titans to kill all life outside of Paradis Island.

Attack on Titan Series Finale Ending, Explained:

The final two Specials of Attack on Titan features the terrifying and deadly effects of Eren’s Rumbling, resulting in a massacre that indiscriminately destroys the majority of life around the world (outside of Paradis).

The remaining Warriors and Warrior candidates Reiner, Falco, Gabi, Pieck Finger (Ayane Sakura/Lindsay Seidel), and Annie Leonhart (Yū Shimamura/Lauren Landa) team up with Scouts Mikasa, Armin, Levi, Jean Kirstein (Kishō Taniyama/Mike McFarland), Connie Springer (Hiro Shimono/Clifford Chapin), and Hange Zoë (Romi Park/Jessica Calvello), Anti-Marleyan volunteers Yelena (Mitsuki Saiga/Anairis Quiñones) and Onyankopon (Kouji Hiwatari/Zeno Robinson), and the foreign Azumabito ambassadors.

After Hange sacrifies themself in order to protect the others, they split up so that the Azumabito, Yelena, Annie, Gabi, and Falco can escape while the rest try to stop Eren. Though Mikasa, Armin, and the remaining Scouts wish to stop Eren with reason, he refuses to stop his Rumbling, leaving them no choice but to fight him. Gabi, Falco, and Annie ultimately also return to aid the final few brave fighters in their battle to stop Eren, who turns the surviving Eldians and Paradisians into Titans in order to aid in his mission.

In a drag-out brawl that leaves Zeke dead, Levi permanently injured, former original Nine Titans temporarily resurrected for battle, they manage to stop the Rumbling and Eren as Mikasa beheads Eren, killing him. Though she always loved him more than anything, Mikasa’s ability to let Eren go is ultimately what allows Ymir to also finally rest and move on and end the power of the Titans once and for all.

All Titans are transformed back into human beings, and both Mikasa and Armin get their own moments with Eren that allow them to get closure and better understand that in his own warped, twisted way, he did this for them and for freedom. Attack on Titan is extremely nuanced and thought-provoking in its discussion on war, ethics, and humanity, and its ending further challenges us as the characters reckon with their own culpability in this war and come to terms with the fact that both sides committed atrocious acts, making it nearly impossible for anyone to emerge as right or wrong.

Armin takes credit for killing Eren so Mikasa can live the rest of her life in peace as she goes to lay Eren to rest outside their favorite tree growing up in Paradis. Three years later, the Scouts and Warriors are lauded as heroes by survivors of the Rumbling, but back in Paradis, unrest remains amongst the Yeagerists who supported Eren and his murderous mission even to the end, as they prepare their army for attack from the rest of the world. Armin, Annie, Reiner, Jean, Connie, and Pieck work together as world ambassadors and are on their way to Paradis for peace negotiations.

Post-credit scenes show Mikasa visiting Eren’s grave over the years, eventually marrying and starting a family, but never forgetting Eren, as she lays on her deathbed at old age with Eren’s red scarf wrapped around her neck. We also see generations pass, as a futuristic Paradis is destroyed in war, only to ultimately be reborn in a new form as it’s reclaimed by wilderness. Through it all, the Eren’s tree remains, growing taller until it resembles Ymir’s tree where the first Titan power was born, and a boy and his dog approach the base, hinting that perhaps the cycle will begin anew.

Who Died In theAttack on Titan Series Finale?

Attack on Titan is as fearless about killing off beloved characters as shows like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, so fans knew that going into the final special, some major losses were inevitable. Indeed, the series met those expectations and then some by killing off the main character, Eren Yeager, in addition to his older half-brother, Zeke. Most notably and terribly, however, was the loss of 80% of the world’s population as a result of Eren’s murderous Rumbling.

Is This Really the End of Attack on Titan?

Yes, it really is. Though the post-credit scene decpits a boy and his dog approaching a tree that resembles the one that gave Ymir Fritz the power of the Titans, it’s perhaps just to hint that no matter Eren’s actions to eradicate Titans and the suffering of the Paradis people, civilizations continue to rise and fall, and history will often repeat itself.

While it’s hard to say goodbye to such a long-running and incredible series, we can at least be grateful to have experienced its impeccable storytelling, compelling characters, and fully fleshed out world. We dedicate our hearts here and now to never forgetting the epic journey that was Attack on Titan as we say farewell once and for all.