History Tearjerker / Attackontitan

*** The Chapter also shows how Eren's actions have deeply damaged his friends and his comrades' trust in him. When Eren sent word to the Survey Corps that he was inflitrating Marley without their consent. The Survey Corps(including Armin) at first considered leaving Eren to fend for himself.

** Meanwhile, the strike team celebrates surviving the battle. Connie, Sasha and Jean share a tender moment among the festivities. While saddened that there were casualties on their side during the fray, [[TemptingFate Connie is relieved that neither of his friends were hurt, because they are so special to him]]. Not long after, tragedy strikes with Gabi boarding the airship and opening fire on the soldiers. Sasha is shot in the abdomen and slowly dies of massive haemorrhaging. Worse still she dies in a delirium brought on by the loss of blood, thinking she's back at home, about to have supper with her friends. Mikasa and Armin break down crying over their friend's body, Connie is in deep shock, unwilling to accept his best friend and perhaps even more than that has been snuffed out; while Jean coldly blames Eren for Sasha's death. Eren finally visibly snaps when he hears that Sasha's last word was "Meat". He recalls her dream to reclaim Wall Maria so that there would be plenty of food for everyone and the day she raided the officer's pantry for meat to share with all her friends. One of the Cadet Corps last innocent moments before being thrust into the horrors of war. For the first time since the time-skip his mask slips, and we see a vestige of the old Eren's righteous fury along with remorse for his friend's fitting last words and the painful realization that someone he cares about has died for him once again without even knowing what hit them.

** Meanwhile, the strike team celebrates surviving the battle. Connie, Sasha and Jean share a tender moment among the festivities. While saddened that there were casualties on their side during the fray, [[TemptingFate Connie is relieved that neither of his friends were hurt, because they are so special to him]]. Not long after, tragedy strikes with Gabi boarding the airship and opening fire on the soldiers. Sasha is shot in the abdomen and slowly dies of blood loss. Worse still she dies in a delirium brought on by the loss of blood, thinking she's back at home, about to have supper with her friends. Mikasa and Armin break down crying over their friend's body, Connie is in deep shock, unwilling to accept his best friend and perhaps even more than that has been snuffed out; while Jean coldly blames Eren for Sasha's death. Eren finally visibly snaps when he hears that Sasha's last word was "Meat". He recalls her dream to reclaim Wall Maria so that there would be plenty of food for everyone and the day she raided to officer's pantry of meat to share with all her friends. One of the Cadet Corps. last innocent moments before being thrust into war and death. For the first time since the time-skip his mask slips, and his mouth splits into a grimace at his friend's fitting last words, and the painful realization that someone he cares about has died for him once again.
** On the Marley side, Gabi receives a grim reminder that for all her naive idealism and desire to kill her enemies, she's still just one little kid caught in the middle of a conflict she doesn't understand. First Falco is powerless to stop her from going on her suicide mission into the enemy airship, forcing him to tag along in a last desperate effort to save her from a terrible fate. Her last ditch effort to kill the devils amounts to little. After shooting Sasha, [[RealityEnsues she and Falco are immediately captured by the Scouts after the element of surprise wears off]]. The group immediately takes revenge by beating both of them to a pulp, and Floch is only stopped from throwing them both out of the airship to their deaths by Jean, who is just so tired of all the senseless death. Undeterred, Gabi is practically ''rabid'' as she screams and shouts at her captors, calling them "devils" and proclaiming she will avenge Warcheif Zeke's death. Jean quickly and ruthlessly breaks her spirit by taking her to the other room... and revealing that Zeke is alive and well, sitting with Eren Yeager himself and talking about how well their plan went. Gabi ''immediately'' goes quiet as the realization sinks in that someone her and Falco admired and respected sold them out long ago, and her "final sacrifice" means absolutely nothing.

** On the Marley side, Gabi receives a grim reminder that for all her naive idealism and desire to kill her enemies, she's still just one little kid caught in the middle of a conflict she doesn't understand. First Falco is powerless to stop her from going on her suicide mission into the enemy airship, forcing him to tag along in a last desperate effort to save her from a terrible fate. Her last ditch effort to kill the devils amounts to little. After shooting Sasha, [[RealityEnsues she and Falco are immediately captured by the Scouts after the element of surprise wears off]]. The group immediately takes revenge by beating both of them to a pulp, and Floch is only stopped from throwing them both out of the airship to their deaths by Jean, who is just so tired of all the senseless death. Undeterred, Gabi is practically *rabid* as she screams and shouts at her captors, calling them "devils" and proclaiming she will avenge Warcheif Zeke's death. Jean quickly and ruthlessly breaks her spirit by taking her to the other room... and revealing that Zeke is alive and well, sitting with Eren Yeager himself and talking about how well their plan went. Gabi *immediately* goes quiet as the realization sinks in that someone her and Falco admired and respected sold them out long ago, and her "final sacrifice" means absolutely nothing.

** The obvious rift between Eren and his comrades, with Armin seeming distant from him while Levi and Hanji openly accuse him of betrayal. Which goes to show that perhaps his superiors have never had faith in him unless they were forced to. When Eren goes off the reservation and takes the initiative, he's penalized. The only one who would have understood is Erwin! Risks like the gamble Eren pulled had to before and ''have'' to be taken now to achieve any semblance of victory for Paradis.
** Connie, Sasha and Jean celebrate having survived the battle. Not long after, DeathByIrony strikes with Gabi boarding the airship and opening fire on the soldiers. Sasha is shot in the abdomen and slowly dies of blood loss. Mikasa and Armin break down crying over their friend's body, Connie is in deep shock, unwilling to accept his best friend and perhaps even more than that has been snuffed out; while Jean coldly blames Eren for Sasha's death. Eren recalls the day in Trost when Sasha dreamed of reclaiming Wall Maria, and for the first time since the time-skip his mask slips. We see the old Eren again as he breaks down in fury and remorse at yet another friend dying for him, the World had best beware...

** Connie, Sasha and Jean celebrate having survived the battle. Not long after, DeathByIrony strikes with Gabi boarding the airship and opening fire on the soldiers. Sasha is struck in the chest, and slowly dies of blood loss. Connie, Mikasa, and Armin break down crying over their friend's body, while Jean coldly blames Eren for Sasha's death. Eren recalls the day in Trost when Sasha dreamed of reclaiming Wall Maria, and for the first time since the time-skip his mask slips. We see the old Eren again as he breaks down in fury and remorse at yet another friend dying for him, the World had best beware...

** The obvious rift between Eren and his comrades, with Armin seeming distant from him while Levi and Hanji openly accuse him of betrayal.
** Connie, Sasha, and Jean celebrate having survived the battle. Not long after, DeathByIrony strikes with Gabi boarding the airship and opening fire on the soldiers. Sasha is struck in the chest, and slowly dies of her injuries. Connie, Mikasa, and Armin break down crying over their friend's loss, while Jean coldly blames Eren for Sasha's death. Eren recalls the day in Trost when Sasha dreamed of reclaiming Wall Maria, and breaks down.

* Chapter 105:
** Sahsha is dead. Gabi killed her with a shot to the heart. Her last words were "Meat".
*** Jean and Connie, who were her closest friends, are naturally hit hard, alongside Mikasa and Armin. It's even enough to cause Eren, who has been stone faced and emotionless for the entire battle, to break down in tears.
** There's a clear falling out between Eren and the rest of the Survey Corps, since his plan essentially forced their cooperation and it resulted in numerous casualties.

** And it only gets worse from there. Levi proceeds to slice the Titan's belly open in a desperate attempt to save Farlan that way, only to pull out [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe what's left of him. After a RoaringRampageOfRevenge towards all the Titans present, Levi comes across the severed head of his "little sister", a pained gaze still trapped in her eyes, causing him to fall to his knees in horror before stroking his hand over her eyes to close them.]]
** Levi's reaction in the OVA's adaptation takes the cake. Upon finding Isabel's remains and seeing a Titan finish off Farlan, Levi can be seen in shock. A moment later he unleashes his rage on the Titan, screaming the entire time in the most anguished manner. After finishing the Titan Levi is left standing over Isabel's remains, sobbing.

** The entire conversation between Reiner and Eren, ending with Eren turning into a Titan. Eren reveals that he has travelled the same path as Reiner did, coming across to Marley and living among the Eldians there, learning that the people there are as varied as his own... but he still transforms into a Titan at the end of the chapter, killing bystanders. After so many chapters of wanting to kill the Titans or beat the people from Reiner and Annie's village to prevent anyone else from going through the horror he did, Eren has become the kind of monster he set out to fight. This isn't even lost on him, he admits that that in the end of it all, him and Reiner are exactly the same.

** The entire conversation between Reiner and Eren, ending with Eren turning into a titan. Eren reveals that he has travelled the same path as Reiner did, coming across to Marley and living among the Eldians there, learning that the people there are as varied as his own... but he still transforms into a titan at the end of the chapter, killing bystanders. After so many chapters of wanting to kill the titans or beat the people from Reiner and Annie's village to prevent anyone else from going through the horror he did, Eren has become the kind of monster he set out to fight. This isn't even lost on him, he admits that that in the end of it all, him and Reiner are exactly the same.

** The deaths of the Panzer Unit, which causes the normally level-headed Pieck to charge in recklessly in her grief. This leads her directly into a trap, with her Titan blown apart by the Thunder Spears. Though the unit hadn't been give much focus, it was clear the group were TrueCompanions that cherished Pieck regardless of her Eldian heritage.

** Levi's reaction in the OVA's adaptation takes the cake. Upon finding Isabel's remains and seeing a Titan finish off Farlan, Levi can be seen in shock. A moment later he unleashes his rage on the Titan, screaming the entire time in the most anguished manner. After finishing the titan Levi is left standing over Isabel's remains, sobbing.

** Though the Survey Corps return to action is glorious, Flochi and others start bombing the internment zones, resulting in countless civilian casualties in an attempt to take out any possible remaining soldiers. Jean immediately admonishes this, still trying to hold on to what humanity he has left.

[[foldercontrol]]

--> '''Jean:''' Damn it. Come on, I�ve already decided. Stop making me feel like such a fool!
--> '''Sasha:''' If I don�t leave now... [[DespairEventHorizon I�ll have to go through it all again.]]
--> '''Connie:''' I left my village. The Military Police were the whole point. [[WellDoneSonGuy I wanted Mom to be proud.]] I wanted to be treated right. Everyone respects them, period.
--> '''Jean:''' [[PointOfNoReturn But there's no going back.]] Not after you've seen it.
--> '''Sasha:''' Seen them up close and...
--> '''Connie:''' [[PrimalFear Seen how they eat people...]]

!! Warning: Administrivia/SpoilersOff applies to these pages. Please proceed at your own risk.

* Mikasa's struggle at the end of Episode 7, which doubles as an [[Awesome/AttackOnTitan Awesome Moment]]. [[spoiler:Believing Eren's dead, she feels she has nothing left to live for, and resigns herself to be eaten by the Titans. However, her body moves on its own, and she realizes she wants to keep on living just to treasure Eren's memory.]] The beautiful music from "[[AwesomeMusic/AttackOnTitan Counter Attack Mankind]]", the teary VO performance and great visuals seal the deal for one of the most memorable moments in the anime.

* During Episode 12 after [[spoiler: Eren can't control his Titan form and it appears that the mission has failed]] one of the soldiers says that they should fall back, but Ian refuses to, still wanting to attempt to carry out the operation despite all evidence that it will fail. Why? Because the situation Humanity is in is so bad that throwing thousands of lives away at opportunities that have a slim chance of working at the very best is a practical option. [[HopelessWar It says a lot about the conflict with the Titans]].
* The entire scene where [[spoiler: [[http://youtu.be/LzNN5I6pGhM Eren carries the boulder to plug the breach in Trost]]. Mitabi, who didn't trust Eren's powers in the least before, dies when [[HeroicSacrifice he successfully distracts the Titans with his squad so that Eren could go past them, fully aware that it would likely kill him]]. Numerous Garrison soldiers die horribly while protecting Eren as well. Ian [[DyingMomentOfAwesome leaps inside a Titan's mouth to rescue a comrade]], he succeeds but is devoured in the process, yet he still screams encouragements at Mikasa as the Titan's teeth decapitate him. Then Eren finally plugs the breach, and Rico, who has shown herself as quite cold and stoic before, tearfully says that her comrades didn't die in vain.]] All while "[[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Call Your Name]]" is playing in the background.
* When Jean discovers the body of [[spoiler: his best friend, Marco]] during the clean-up operation in Trost. His vacant stare and the quiet way he pleads for someone to tell him what happened are heartbreaking enough, but the medical officer is correct when she tells him there's no time to mourn and she is relieved that at least ''this'' body can be identified.
* Related to the above: Annie's whispered apologies to the mangled corpse of an unnamed soldier, during the same clean-up operation. She repeats it in shock, until Reiner speaks to her and reminds her that apologizing won't accomplish anything. All they can do is mourn and then move on. [[spoiler: That they were the ones responsible doesn't make it any less heartbreaking, as it's clear just how [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone horrified]] they are over the reality of their actions.]]

* Episode 16, at least three of them. [[spoiler: Which both involve Marco. Just as Jean is deciding which region he's joining at the MeaningfulFuneral, he imagines seeing Marco, echoing his opinion that he'd make an excellent leader. As if that isn't heartbreaking enough, as soon as Jean declares his change of heart to join the Survey Corps, he bursts into tears. Major tearjerker there.]]
** [[spoiler: And when Eren finally learns Marco died, with nobody there to witness and tend to him as he was dying in pain. And on top of that, he sees Marco's spirit, too, this time wearing the special Scouting uniform, as if saying he'll always be by his friends' side.]]
*** The English dub makes both scenes just as heartbreaking as the Japanese version. Mike [=McFarland=] really ''nailed'' Jean's declaration to [[spoiler: join the Scout Regiment and his breakdown right afterward.]]

--> '''Jean:''' Damn it. Come on, I’ve already decided. Stop making me feel like such a fool!
--> '''Sasha:''' If I don’t leave now... [[DespairEventHorizon I’ll have to go through it all again.]]

* The beginning of Eren's return home after his first mission with the Survey Corps in the anime. At first the scene seems so light-hearted and triumphant, as he learns about how several of the members of the elite Levi Squadron actually [[BringMyBrownPants pissed themselves]] on their first mission. Gunther gets everyone to finally calm down, but not without adding that he in fact did ''not'' piss himself. And then [[spoiler: the traitor shows up and kills him...]]
*** And then in the next episode the rest of the squad engages the Female Titan. [[spoiler: At first they seem to be on the winning hand, but then Eren remembers Levi's words, emphasized by Vogel im Käfig playing in the background. Before he can aid them, all of them are killed. And then Eren gets eaten... again... just as Mikasa arrives.]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Mikasa:''' No... W-Wait, I... Eren... Please, you can't leave me... [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge Give him back! Do you hear me?! GIVE HIM BACK!]] '''''[[RoaringRampageOfRevenge GIVE HIM BACK!]]''''']]
** [[spoiler: The scene in itself was heartbreaking. Anywhere from Eld dying before being able to realize what is going on, to Petra's incomprehension of the situation in her final moments and Oluo's horrified expression as he witnesses her die. The worst part of it all? Eren watches it all unfold in front of his very eyes, the very people who accepted him among their ranks and asked for his trust, gone, and he can only scream in horror. As the music grows louder, he completely loses it and]] [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge finally transforms into his Titan form once more.]]

** And then we have [[spoiler: Levi dashing through the trees, silently passing by the bodies/remains of his comrades. What makes the scene extra powerful is that his expression is deliberately obscured until he's found every one of them to be dead. The look on his face is absolutely heart-breaking. The whole scene is made even worse by the fact that a few chapters before, Levi explained to Eren that sacrificing a potentially large number of lives in the progress of combating Titans had become a normality for the Survey Corps, advising him to not let it affect him too much.]]
** Despite everything [[spoiler:the Female Titan did, it's still hard not to feel [[TragicVillain the tiniest bit sad when she cries.]] The fact that the human pilot crying causes the ''Titan'' to cry as well overall has a tragic feel to it. Plus, one interpretation of the tears is Annie feeling [[AllForNothing she murdered all those people for nothing]], and overall failed to return to her father.]]
** According to Isayama's notes on drawing this part, when hearing Titan!Eren approaching, [[spoiler:Annie]] was thinking ''"Finally. Eren is coming. I can finally go home!"''

** The montage of the loved ones hearing the soldiers are returning, eager to see [[spoiler: Eld, Oluo, and Gunther]] come home safely when none of them survived. The audience gets a slap to the face along the lines of "InUniverse they weren't just Badasses soldiers, they were ''people'' with hopes and dreams". Thank goodness everyone was spared the scene where [[BearerOfBadNews some poor schmuck had to actually break it to them]] that their beloved fiancée/sibling/(grand)child didn't make it back.

** Levi [[spoiler: looking over the wrapped bodies of his squad]].
** When they're tossing the bodies of the cart, it focuses on [[spoiler:Levi's reaction alone when he sees Petra's body flung out]], SlowMotion style and with a heartbreaking score in the background. That, coupled with his initial reaction to finding her dead, and later having cut off a piece of her coat to keep as a memory, only serves to imply that [[ImpliedLoveInterest her feelings for him were returned.]] It just makes it even worse.

** Dieter and his failed mission to reclaim the body of his fallen friend. This forces the abandoning of ''all'' the retrieved bodies in order to escape a horde of Titans. [[spoiler: Levi having to declare his squad's bodies are "nothing special", and then watching Petra's body be tossed away]]. Later, he comforts Dieter by giving him a patch from a uniform, telling him it belonged to his friend. [[spoiler: It was actually one he took from the uniform of one of his squad's members]].

** [[spoiler:Erwin's]] past. He was curious like every child was and decided to tell his friends what he heard. And as a result his father was killed. You can just tell he blames himself.

** Despite being shown to be a brat just moments before, [[spoiler: the image of Reebs' son hiding behind a tree, having most likely witnessed his dad's murder, is pitiful.]]
* In Chapter 57, [[spoiler: Reebs' body is discovered and the Survey Corps are blamed for his death. Hearing people sneer at and condemn the Survey Corps when they're the ones who are trying to save them is beyond upsetting.]]

** [[spoiler: The deaths of the rest of Hanji's squad by the antipersonnel 3D maneuvering gear.]] Keep in mind that it's just modified 3D maneuvering gear, but the fact that this weapon, used by the Survey Corps to kill Titans so humanity can go beyond the Walls, is being used to [[spoiler:kill humans in order to keep secrets at bay,]] is pretty disheartening.
** Even worse, [[spoiler: these people joined the Corps thinking that their death would come at the hands of a Titan, yet they are killed by the species they're fighting for and trying to protect, and with the aid of the gear they use no less. Dramatic irony at it's most tragic.]]
** [[spoiler: Levi's]] expression when [[spoiler: he and Hanji's squadmates are attacked by the Humanity Suppression task force and the three squad members are killed via modified guns.]] First, it's startlement and confusion at what happened as [[spoiler: Levi was barely able to avoid being shot twice,]] then you can see the realization setting in when [[spoiler: he sees their bodies.]] This is someone who's a skilled fighter with swords and fists, and he's seen his own comrades ripped apart by Titans, [[spoiler: but seeing them being killed with guns so swiftly,]] was something he was truly not prepared for.
** Better yet, who was the leading the attack? Blowing Nifa's head off as Levi stood right next to her before taking another shot at him? [[spoiler: Levi's ParentalSubstitute, [[ArchNemesisDad Kenny.]] [[DysfunctionJunction How hate filled their relationship proves to be]] during the ensuing clash is pretty depressing all on its own...]]
** The confirmation from Ymir that Titans do ''not'' eat for pleasure, but [[spoiler: are instinctively trying to devour a Shifter in order to regain their human form. Hanji is also kind enough to remind us that these are most likely all innocent people who would never have done this otherwise, and have been trapped as Titans for who knows how long.]] As Hanji says, their existence is "another tragedy". Which is sobering considering it comes from ''Hanji'', who has gone from hating the Titans as much as Eren, to becoming fascinated with them from a scientific standpoint to now [[spoiler: feeling well-founded pity for them.]]
** In hingsight, people mocking Hanji for getting attached to the Titan, naming them, and finding it painful to torture them to find out things about them. [[spoiler: It turns out that she was the only person showing sympathy and affection towards people who had been turned into Titans.]]
* When [[spoiler: Kenny Ackerman]] confronted [[spoiler: Levi]], in the bar in Chapter 58, he talked of how they both lived in garbage and how finding out about how vast their world had been a huge blow to [[spoiler: Levi]]. It makes one wonder how he took it...
** It's really hard not to feel bad for Jean; he entered the Survey Corps to help protect humanity and now he was [[spoiler: deliberately being told to shoot to kill]] when [[spoiler: the Human Suppression Task Force is on the Special Ops. trail]]. It gets even worse as [[spoiler: he has one of the members at gunpoint, but he yells at her not to move or he'll shoot.]] His [[spoiler: mercy ends up with him at the member's gunpoint after she kicks the rifle out of his hands and it leads to a DeadHatShot.]].
** It's possibly made sadder that the one [[spoiler:panically yelling his name is ''Mikasa''. For all that she appears to barely notice his existence, we see that she ''does'' care about him and reacts frantically when it appears he's about to be killed.]]
* Poor Armin after [[spoiler: he killed the MP soldier who was about to kill Jean.]] He was seen in tears and throwing up outside of the squads' hideout and when Mikasa went to comfort him, [[spoiler: he asked if she had felt like he did when she killed one of the human traffickers when she was nine.]] Then, even though he was feeling like shit, Armin immediately tried to apologize to Mikasa, knowing that he hit a sensitive topic with her, disregarding his own anguish and trauma.
** What's even worse is that [[spoiler: the whole reason Armin was able to take out that MP soldier was because she hesitated in shooting Jean.]] Armin lampshades this by remarking that [[spoiler: that MP soldier was more moral than he was, as he didn't hesitate to shoot.]]
** The [[spoiler: MP soldiers' expression in the flashback in Jeans' perspective made it even more poignent.]] Until now, we've seen the Central MP like Kenny Ackerman and the rest of the anti-human task force as unhesitating in killing. To see [[spoiler: a member of that same group hesitate to pull the trigger when the others before didn't]] reminds the viewers that even if they are enemies, you can't label them all as "evil".

* Marlow and Hitch [[spoiler: angrily denouncing the Survey Corps for the destruction of Stohess during Eren's battle against the Female Titan. They recount the great loss of life, once again hitting the reader with the fact that hundreds of people died in that attack.]]
** Somewhat worse is Hitch's [[spoiler: genuine sorrow for Annie. She has spent all this time believing that Annie was killed during the battle and that her corpse was too mangled to be recognized, and has only her roommate's possessions to remind her that she even existed. Her face when Levi explained that Annie ''was'' the Female Titan is just heartbreaking, and suggests that she really did think of Annie as a friend]].
* The entire [[spoiler: injection scene as told through Grisha's eyes. We see the frightened, tearful Eren injected and when he transforms there is a panel of him screaming making it clear how painful it is.]] It only gets worse after Eren [[spoiler: recovers from being a mindless Titan after he's eaten his father. At first there's just a look of confusion which slowly becomes absolute horror as he wails over Grisha's remains.]]
** The fact that Eren who lost his mother to a Titan and vowed to kill them all in revenge [[spoiler: became the very creature he hated and devoured his remaining parent]].

--> '''Eren:''' [[spoiler: "I... wasn't necessary."]]
** Kenny's [[BrutalHonesty brutally honest]] ReasonYouSuckSpeech to [[spoiler:Historia, about how her father never loved her and is only using her to get what he wants. Even if it was a lie, Historia had started to take comfort in the new reality Rod was crafting for her, and seeing it destroyed completely breaks her.]]
** Historia thanking Eren for telling her she was a normal person, [[spoiler:before sticking the needle into her arm. Even though Historia ends up not injecting the serum, it shows [[NearVillainVictory just how close they came to losing]].]]
* In Chapter 68, we're treated to [[spoiler: Rod's memories as Historia slices through the nape of his Titan form. Rod as a frightened and frustrated child imprisoned by his own father while pleading with him to kill the Titans, Freida and Uri's bright hopeful smiles and vows to resist the First King's will turning into the dead-eyed stare of the possessed, and finally Rod confiding in Historia's mother, stating that she is the only one who understood him.]] Seeing an earnest young man who wanted to better humanity transformed slowly into a manipulative fanatic and finally into a [[spoiler: rampaging monster]] is heartbreaking.
* Eren seeing three children and realising that they're a lot like he, Mikasa, and Armin were when the Colossal Titan broke the Wall. Armin replies that they're probably going to see what they saw, but says that [[spoiler: unlike that day, he, Eren, and Mikasa are on the Wall and can fight back.]]
* As [[spoiler:Kenny]] dies, we're treated to [[spoiler:[[AlasPoorVillain a flashback to his life with Uri and Levi]] followed by him saying he abandoned Levi because he was unfit to be a parent]].

* Chapter 71 gives us [[spoiler: Shadis']] backstory, including the moment when he realises why he's never been able to make a difference.
-->[[spoiler:'''Shadis''']]: Average men aren't able to accomplish anything. Special people do exist. It's just that I wasn't one of them.
* Chapter 72 has Eren, Armin, and Mikasa thinking that they see Hannes for a moment before they see the man's face and not only realize that he isn't [[spoiler: Hannes, but remember that Hannes is dead and they'll never see him again.]]

* Chapter 76 has Jean, Sasha, and Connie attacking Reiner with hesitation. Although it is unknown currently what happens to Reiner [[spoiler: there's a high likelihood he died from that attack. The look of sadness and hesitation in finishing their former comrade says it all.]] Sasha and Connie also both hesitate and have to be reminded by Jean to attack Reiner.

* Chapter 77 begins with [[spoiler: the truth behind Marco's death, accidentally catching Reiner and Bertholdt discussing their plan and they end up pinning him down, force a traumatised Annie to remove his maneuver gear, and they leave him to be chewed on by an approaching Titan. And all the while, a confused Marco is screaming for them to just explain themselves before he is killed. Annie is visibly reluctant and horrified to leave Marco to die, and when Marco is being eaten, Reiner snaps back into his innocent personality and has no idea what is happening.]]
** The part with [[spoiler:Annie needs some elaboration. Namely, Reiner and Bertholdt capture Marco and pin him down when suddenly, Annie arrives. A panicked Marco ''pleads for Annie'' to help him, to which she gets a horrified face and, upon hearing Reiner say they have to kill him, she screams at him for making her do this! The face on Annie as she sees Marco asking ''her'' to help him is the heartbreaking part, you can practically see her thinking ''"No, don't ask me for help! I'm one of them! I'm sorry!"'']]

** [[spoiler: The next we see of Reiner, he is hanging out of the Armored Titan's body, with the top half of his head missing. While the Survey Corps celebrate, Reiner's former friends are clearly in mourning. Jean tries to put on a brave face but it quickly cracks when he realises Connie and Sasha are in tears. He angrily grabs both and tries to justify their actions before breaking down himself. Eren just sits there in his Titan form, staring at the Armored Titan. When Hange rallies everyone to get ready for the "next one" (aka Bertholdt), Mikasa responds with an exhaustive, submissive sigh, and then goes to comfort Armin who sadly comments that because of their lack of knowledge about Titan Shifters, killing Reiner was their only option.]]
* Chapter 78's Bertholdt is rather stoic and unflinchingly [[spoiler: comments on the war and how people must die, which is either awesome (if you think he's right that he himself needed to grow a pair) or alarming (if you find this shift upsetting). But this chapter delves further into Bertholdt feeling that although no one is at fault, people have to die, so he'll do what he can to make sure no more people have to suffer. He ends the chapter with a very deliberate parallel to Mikasa's CatchPhrase about the world being both beautiful and cruel, except that he never remarks on anything being beautiful. For Bertholdt, the world really has only ever been cruel.]]
** The final exchange between Armin and Bertoldt all but proves there was never any chance for peace... [[spoiler: even before Mikasa attacked him.]]

* Chapters 79-81 which sees [[spoiler:the death of almost the entire Survey Corp. Most of the veterans are killed via bombardment. Hange and her squad were blown up by the Colossal Titan. Erwin leads the recruits in a [[LastStand desperate charge]] at the Beast Titan to buy time for Levi to kill it. Erwin dies as does most of the recruits and Levi is prevented from finishing off the Beast Titan at the last moment by the Cargo Titan. At the end of the chapter only the former 104th and Levi are confirmed alive.]]
** [[spoiler: Marlow]] is killed as the Beast Titan hurls rocks at the advancing recruits, with his last thoughts being about how [[spoiler: Hitch]] is probably still asleep in her bed.
** [[spoiler: Levi's MomentOfWeakness of hesitating to kill Zeke before he finds someone -- who he hopes to be Erwin, not knowing that Erwin was struck down almost immediately -- to give the Titan injection to, so they can eat Zeke. After this, when Zeke escapes him and the situation becomes desperate, all Levi can think about is how he promised Erwin he'd kill Zeke, and the opportunity may have slipped from his fingers for good. It's another uncharacteristically vulnerable sequence for Levi, and yet more evidence that Erwin is his LivingEmotionalCrutch... who seems to have died just like Levi knew he would if he returned to the field.]]
* Chapter 82 features the self-sacrifice of [[spoiler: Armin, who [[HeroicSacrifice gives up his life]] and his dream of seeing the outside world and the ocean, so that Eren can defeat the Colossal Titan. Eren remarks that Armin was the bravest of all of them, and he's right. Armin abandons his dream of seeing the ocean for the sake of the Survey Corps victory, which is a nice [[CallBack call back]] to earlier in the series when he said that those who couldn't throw anything away could never change anything. The chapter is titled "Hero", and that's exactly what Armin is.]]
--> [[spoiler:'''Armin:''' "I'm leaving it to you, Eren. My dreams. My life. Everything. This is all I have that I can throw away. If it's Eren, then he'll definitely make it to the ocean... He'll see... the ocean... for me."]]
** As well as the aforementioned sacrifice, [[spoiler: Sasha]] is injured and unconscious, many people are already dead, Connie is out of action because he's holding [[spoiler: Sasha]], Jean has been injured by debris and can't fight, and Mikasa is basically all on her own, about to make what Connie obviously considers a suicide move, until [[spoiler: Hanji]] shows up to save the day.
* The end of Chapter 83, [[spoiler: ''Reiner is crying''. Throughout all of Reiner's traumas, he has never shed a tear, even when Marco was being fed to a Titan (although that could be attributed to shock and memory loss) and Annie was crying profusely. Reiner is laying on a wall, limbless and missing most of the skin on his head, blindfolded, and has to have realized that not only have they failed to capture Eren, the enemy now has Bertholdt and Zeke is taking him and leaving Bertholdt behind. The one person Reiner holds above all the others and has sworn to protect is being left for dead or worse, and there is nothing he can do about it.]]
** It's easy to miss in a lot of the panels, but is obvious to see in one of the final panels in Chapter 83 -- after discovering that [[spoiler: Armin is close to death]], Mikasa is crying.
** The inevitable but lamentable consequence of people being raised for horrible things like war is present in 83. The hatred is overwhelming and makes one want to cry. [[spoiler: Jean, at first having to be the one to remind Connie and Sasha to attack Reiner, is now horrified at how he's being treated, limbless and defenseless and blind, under Hanji's sadistic thumb. Bertholdt's situation is possibly worse: He too is limbless and can't do anything, but everyone around him is arguing over who to feed him to and whose life to save, treating him as food to be eaten.]] Even on the human side, things aren't good. It's [[spoiler: Erwin or Armin, and one life has to be saved at the cost of the other. Levi at first agrees to give Armin the serum, but when shown Erwin's body, almost immediately changes his mind. This act of snatching away Armin's life has Eren horrified, and Mikasa even has her blade raised as though to force Levi out of it.]]
* In Chapter 84, [[spoiler: the choice is made on who to save with the Titan serum, but it's how it's done and the aftermath. Erwin himself thanks Levi with his final breaths, refusing to be saved. Secondly , Bertholdt is summarily eaten by the newly Titan Armin. They leave him limbless and broken, unable to transform, right in front of Armin. He's desperately crying and screaming futilely for somebody to save him, specifically Reiner and Annie, while his former friends from the 104th [[ForcedToWatch force themselves to watch]]; all of them crying (even Eren).]]

** The moments just before [[spoiler: Bertholdt gets eaten by Armin]] actually becomes ''much'' sadder the more you think about it; [[spoiler: He woke up coming face-to-face with a Titan with barely a few seconds to mentally process what is going on, and in that very moment of utter confusion and terror, it's more than likely that he forgot all about his mission along with being the Colossal Titan while screaming and begging his former friends to save him, and seeing their crying faces is what made him remember. In his last moments, he remembered that he was the one responsible for so much suffering and death to the people living in the Walls and that he would never be forgiven by them for what he did. He started screaming for Reiner and Annie only after remembering that, despite the futility of it.]]
*** [[spoiler: Right before Berholdt gets eaten, before and after he begs to be saved, there are a few panels with a close up of his horrified, crying expression as he fully realizes that ''nobody will save him.'']]
** Eren once mentioned that he would [[spoiler:make Bertholt's death especially excruciating since Bertholt was indirectly responsible for the death of Eren's mother]]. However, it's pretty clear that [[spoiler:while Eren got his wish, he's far from happy seeing Bertholt screaming for help as he dies horribly]].
** While Levi initially [[spoiler:chooses to give Erwin the serum, the Commander unexpectedly refuses it. Then Levi remembers his last conversation with Erwin and the look of sheer happiness and relief on his face after Levi told him to go with the rest of the recruits and die, and that he'd take care of the Beast Titan.]] Levi being [[TheStoic Levi]], his emotional process through all this is fairly subtle, but his flat resignation when he [[spoiler: tries to have some last words with Erwin and is told that he's already dead, clearly not totally prepared for that reality yet despite his decision,]] is ''rough.''

** The reveal of how Hanji survived. [[spoiler: Moblit threw Hanji into a well, away from the Colossal Titan's blast, saving her, and the last time Hanji sees him, it's obvious that they both know that he's about to die. By the time Hanji gets out of the well after the blast, Moblit is nowhere to be found because he wasn't just killed, he was completely obliterated.]]

** When Armin realizes how he survived -- at the cost of [[spoiler:forfeiting a chance to save Erwin]] -- it's clear that he's suffering SurvivorGuilt, not to mention feeling bad that Mikasa and Eren attacked Levi and got in trouble for his sake. Levi and Hange can't offer much comfort, since they had believed [[spoiler:Erwin was more valuable to humanity]], and the most they can say is to urge him to do what he can to ensure that the choice made was the right one.
* The tragedy of the Eldians. An entire race of people living within walls, sealed by forces beyond their control, suffering for the sins of their bloodline, not even for actions they themselves have taken. [[spoiler: Whether it's Eren, trapped by the Titans and the First King, or Grisha, trapped by the Marleyans and the legacy of Ymir Fritz, it's hard not to see how everyone has gotten the short stick here.]]
** And yes, the Marleyans do have their sympathetic moments. [[spoiler: Their entire kingdom is a ranked hierarchy, with Eldians living in squalid ghettos, afraid of the world outside, but remember that just eighty years ago the Marleyans fought and won a desperate war against the Titan Shifters, ending seventeen hundred years of oppression and genocide... supposedly. The government is likely lying to everyone, and driving up hate against the Eldians, manipulating everyone for their own sick gain.]]

* In Chapter 87, [[spoiler: Grisha is forced to watch as his comrades from the Eldian Restoration Movement are transformed into mindless Titans by the Marleyans, and sicced to chase after one of their members who wasn't transformed into one. This includes Grisha's first wife, Dina, who is turned into the Smiling Titan]]. It also gives a new meaning to one of the first things Grisha asked from [[spoiler: Keith, when they first met: "You're not fighting ''them'', are you?"]]
** In the same vein: [[spoiler: Those mindless Titans? Look close. Those are the same ones that attack the Trost district, including the Bearded Titan that nearly ate Armin and ''did'' eat Eren, the Huge-Mouth Titan that bit Eren's leg off, and the infamous Uguu-Eyes Titan.]]
* In Chapter 88, Eren and Armin realize that [[spoiler:since someone who inherits a Titan's power usually only lives for 13 years, that most likely means Armin has 13 years of life left and Eren only has eight years at most]]. Mikasa despairingly trying to deny that [[spoiler:both of her oldest friends are going to die fairly young]] is heartbreaking.
** Worse, they've essentially only delayed [[spoiler: Armin's death by thirteen years.]]
* Also from Chapter 88 -- the person who [[spoiler: saved Grisha was called Eren Kruger. In the process of explaining things to Grisha, he reveals that both sides are manipulating history -- Ymir never turned the world into a paradise (as shown by there being absolutely no indicated of that), but she also never created a hell (as indicated by the presence of pure Marleyans), and the stories have become the truth to so many because people started telling them, indicating that the real truth of what happened to the world may very well have been lost forever.]]
* Ymir's entire backstory. [[spoiler: She was a homeless child in what was most likely an Eldian ghetto, abandoned so early by her parents that she didn't even know her own name. She was taken in by a con-man and passed off as the reincarnation of Ymir Fritz which allowed him to extract money from people who worshiped her. She had no idea who "Ymir" even was, but went along with it because she was fed and cared for and she made people happy. When the Marley forces raided the cult, the con artist desperately blamed her for the deception, and she was dragged through the streets and stoned before ultimately being turned into a mindless Titan. Throughout the scene the look of horror and confusion on her face is ''heartbreaking''.]]
** [[spoiler: Not only that, but now, as of Chapter 93, Ymir is dead. She was devoured by Galliard so that the Marley military could regain the Jaws Titan's power. In the brief shot that we see her, she just looks resigned, so tired of even living. And she and Historia will never see each other again.]]
** Her life was so tragic that even Porco [[spoiler:the guy who devoured her for the Jaw Titan power, whose brother she devoured years earlier]] felt sorry for her [[spoiler:after seeing her memories as a side-effect of acquiring the Jaw Titan.]]

** Reiner's entire backstory: His [[MyBelovedSmother overwhelming]], BoomerangBigot mother raised him alone, telling him that his father couldn't be with them because [[spoiler: he's a Marleyan]]. He wasn't the exceptionally talented cadet he later became, and instead struggled through training and repeatedly teared up in frustration at his failings. He was finally accepted for having written an essay about his UndyingLoyalty to Marley, which Galliard claimed proved that he was completely useless and resulted in a fight between the two. Afterwards, he tells Bertolt that his motivation for becoming a Warrior is because he believes doing so will allow him to be with ''both'' his parents as a real family. He talks about becoming a hero by destroying the demons on the Island, and saving the whole world by doing so. It's clear that he was a horrifically naive WideEyedIdealist that was chosen because he could be easily manipulated by Marley, and all he ever wanted was to make his mother happy and meet his father. Instead, he's become a mass murderer, lost the friends he cherished, can no longer speak honestly to his own family, and is watching Gabi go down the same path as him.

** During the journey to Wall Maria, Marcel breaks down and confesses a secret to the others: [[spoiler: He was afraid for his brother's safety, so he rigged the selection of the Armored Titan in Reiner's favor. Porco ''was'' meant to receive the Armored Titan, and Reiner was always the dead-last failure that was going to be left behind. Realizing that he didn't earn his Titan through honest means leaves Reiner in shock, and its while walking in a daze that he's ambushed by Ymir's Titan]].

** [[spoiler: Eren]] and Falco sitting outside the hospital, looking at the physically and/or mentally broken soldiers while discussing how war destroys people.
** When Falco admits that he probably won't become a Warrior, [[spoiler: Eren]] is relieved to hear that. He tells Falco that he's kind, and hopes he'll live a long life. His mood grows somber when Falco explains that he ''needs'' to do it, to protect the other candidate.

** The conversation at the hospital, between doctor and patient. [[spoiler: Dr. Yeager doesn't seem to know that the young man he is speaking with is his long-lost grandson. The subject turns to his own family, causing him to break down in grief over the fates of his children. Eren can only helplessly watch his grandfather crying and screaming hysterically, until staff come to escort him away; revealing him to be, in truth, just another inmate of the institute. From their apologies to Eren, it seems that this isn't an unusual occurrence]].

** Falco's horror at realizing that he'd been used, shouting about how he'd respected and been inspired by [[spoiler: Eren]]'s friendship. Reiner looks down at this, while [[spoiler: Eren]] can only offer a weak apology for his actions.
** Reiner asks whether [[spoiler: Eren]] is there to kill him, and is brushed off with words of sympathy and understanding. This does nothing to reassure Reiner, who collapses out of his chair and crawls to the other man's feet, begging to be killed. He rejects the claim that his motivations were good and understandable, stating that he was just selfish and that he's so disgusting that he simply wants to disappear.
** As Willy Tybur makes his declaration of war and stirs the audience into a frenzy, [[spoiler: Eren]] wears an exhausted expression. He takes a moment to steel himself, before explaining that he understands that there's no choice but to keep moving forward. In spite of knowing that they are the same and shouldn't need to fight, the divided Eldian people are being forced to fight each other again.
** The entire conversation between [[spoiler: Reiner and Eren, ending with Eren turning into a titan. Eren reveals that he has travelled the same path as Reiner did, coming across to Marley and living among the Eldians there, learning that the people there are as varied as his own... but he still transforms into a titan at the end of the chapter, killing bystanders. After so many chapters of wanting to kill the titans or beat the people from Reiner and Annie's village to prevent anyone else from going through the horror he did, Eren has become the kind of monster he set out to fight. This isn't even lost on him, he admits that that in the end of it all, him and Reiner are exactly the same.]]
** A few chapters earlier, Gabi optimistically stated that the Tybur Family chose to hold the announcement in the Liberio Ghetto to make an attempt to better the relations between Eldians and the rest of the world. In reality, [[spoiler:Willy held it there in order to ensure most of the casualties would be Eldians if the Paradis infiltrators decided to strike while giving his announcement]].

** During Eren's attack, [[spoiler:Zofia is crushed by falling debris and Udo is trampled to death by the panicking crowd, all right in front of a shellshocked Gabi.]]

** Though the Survey Corps return to action is glorious, [[spoiler: Flochi and others start bombing the internment zones, resulting in countless civilian casualties in an attempt to take out any possible remaining soldiers. Jean immediately admonishes this, still trying to hold on to what humanity he has left.]]
** Mikasa's ''pained and tearful face'' as she notes [[spoiler: that Eren's killed several civilians, including children, knowing that they've officially crossed the MoralEventHorizon.]] All Eren does is silently and stoically gaze back, unable to provide any words of comfort before focusing back on the objective.

* The death of Levi's former friends and comrades in ''A Choice With No Regrets'', Isabel and Farlan. [[spoiler: What makes it a sad irony is that the events leading to their fate is very reminiscent of Eren's choice that inadvertently caused the death of Levi's squad later. In short, they're on an expedition when a terrible storm arrives, and Levi eventually makes the decision that he will go off alone to find Erwin and kill him in the confusion than stay with Isabel and Farlan. Shortly after doing so however, he finds the remnants of a Titan attack and realizes their footprints are headed straight back to where he left his friends. He internally scolds himself for making the wrong choice and arrives just in time to see Isabel getting eaten while she tearfully calls for her "Big Bro" (what she called Levi), followed by Farlan shortly afterwards simply waving his hand sadly at him before being devoured as well.]]
** And it only gets worse from there. [[spoiler:Levi proceeds to slice the Titan's belly open in a desperate attempt to save Farlan that way, only to pull out [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe what's left of him]]. After a RoaringRampageOfRevenge towards all the Titans present, Levi comes across the severed head of his "little sister", a pained gaze still trapped in her eyes, causing him to fall to his knees in horror before stroking his hand over her eyes to close them.]]

* The death of Levi's former friends and comrades in ''A Choice With No Regrets'', Isabel and Farlan. [[spoiler: What makes it a sad irony is that the events leading to their fate is very reminiscent of Eren's choice that inadvertently caused the death of Levi's squad later. In short, they're on an expedition when a terrible storm arrives, and Levi eventually makes the decision that he will go off alone to find Erwin and kill him in the confusion than stay with Isabel and Farlan. Shortly after doing so however, he finds the remnants of a Titan attack and realizes their footprints are headed straight back to where he left his friends. He internally scolds himself for making the wrong choice and arrives just in time to see Isabel getting eaten while she tearfully calls for her "Big Bro" (what she called Levi), followed by Farlan shortly afterwards simply waving his hand sadly at him before being devoured as well.]]
** And it only gets worse from there. [[spoiler:Levi proceeds to slice the Titan's belly open in a desperate attempt to save Farlan that way, only to pull out [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe what's left of him]]. After a RoaringRampageOfRevenge towards all the Titans present, Levi comes across the severed head of his "little sister", a pained gaze still trapped in her eyes, causing him to fall to his knees in horror before stroking his hand over her eyes to close them.]]
** Levi's reaction in the OVA's adaptation takes the cake. Upon finding Isabel's remains and seeing a Titan finish off Farlan, Levi can be seen in shock. A moment later he unleashes his rage on the Titan, screaming the entire time in the most anguished manner. After finishing the titan Levi is left standing over Isabel's remains, sobbing.
** The song "So ist es immer", which plays during the trio's happiest moments and is repeated at the end, in the aural equivalent of jumping up and down on the shredded remains of your heart.

** While Levi initially [[spoiler: chooses to give Erwin the serum, the Commander unexpectedly refuses it. Then Levi remembers his last conversation with Erwin and the look of sheer happiness and relief on his face after Levi told him to go with the rest of the recruits and die, and that he'd take care of the Beast Titan.]] Levi being [[TheStoic Levi]], his emotional process through all this is fairly subtle, but his flat resignation when he [[spoiler: tries to have some last words with Erwin and is told that he's already dead, clearly not totally prepared for that reality yet despite his decision,]] is ''rough.''

** You also have to remember how much Levi has lost, going back on his word at first to save Armin for Erwin is not right, but remember... he lost his mother at a VERY young age, was kicked to the curb by his uncle after living with him for a little bit (who was a serial killer so we know THAT messed him up), then he looses Farlan and Isabel (who were like his little brother and sister), then he sees countless solders after that die, then he loses his first squad, learns later Petra may have been crushing on him, and then his uncle dies, and now at the end of the road he is going to lose one of the two last friends he has left... is it any surprise he at least, for a moment... wanted to be selfish? If it can even be called that.

[[caption-width-right:350:This broke the fangirls.]]