Top 10 Attack on Titan Anime Moments

Warning: Major spoilers for the anime.

10. Eren vs the Armoured Titan – Season two, episode seven, Close Combat.

After the shocking reveal of Reiner and Bertholdt being Titans (more on that later) Eren faced off against Reiner, The Armoured Titan, in an epic showdown that is probably the best fight in the series.
The thing that makes this fight so good is how much thinking goes into it.
For example, when Eren fought the Female Titan there was not a big focus on the tactics of the fighting, just Eren being motivated by the deaths of his squad mates.
Here, however, Eren plans out his attack process and we get to see how this leads to him defeating the Armoured Titan… before Bertholdt jumps in of course.
Another thing that makes this fight so great is how Eren expresses his feelings about the Armoured Titan being Reiner, someone he thought of as an older brother.
This fight showed us Eren’s feelings of anger and betrayal, which go nicely with the fight itself.
The combined elements of fighting tactics and Eren’s inner thoughts turn this fight into the best of the series.

9. First appearance of the Beast Titan – Season two, episode one, Beast Titan.

Probably my biggest question after watching season two was, “who is the Beast Titan?”
Unfortunately, us anime watchers do not have an answer yet but, based on this Titan’s introduction, he looks to be a very important character and a formidable foe for the main cast.
His introduction is the best the series has given us so far as it opens up many interesting questions about the series.
What is probably most interesting about him though is that he can speak without difficulty and can also control Titan’s, although to a lesser extent than Eren I think.
We also got to see how cruel whoever is controlling the Beast Titan is because of the subsequent death of Miche Zacharius, the most gruesome death in Attack on Titan so far.
The Beast Titan just allowed the other Titans to rip him apart while he screamed for mercy and his only reaction to this was an acknowledgement that Miche could talk.
The first time I saw this scene it left me sick to my stomach.
Both gruesome and intriguing, the introduction of the Beast Titan is the best introduction of Attack on Titan.

8. Historia and Ymir’s promise – Season two, episode five, Historia.

One of the things I liked the most about season two of Attack on Titan was how it took forgettable characters from the first season and turned them into some of the best in the series.
Case and point Ymir and Historia.
I will talk about Ymir later but Historia had a great moment of character development in the fifth episode of the second season, where everything we knew about her was turned on its head.
In this flashback it is revealed that not only is her name not Christa but her entire personality has been an act.
Every time she risked her life for someone it was so she could die and be remembered as a hero.
Remember when she went to save Armin, Jean and Reiner in the Female Titan episode?
She went to help them because she wanted to die.
In the first season I saw Historia, or Christa as she was called then, as nothing more than a one note character who was just cannon fodder for the Titans.
This flashback to her and Ymir’s promise changed my entire perception of her and made her much more interesting, which, I am happy to say, it looks like they will be expanding upon in season three.
On top of this the animation in this scene is stellar and some of the best the series has given us.
This moment changed my entire perception of Historia, turning her from someone I did not care for into one of the most interesting characters.

7. Jean decides to join the Scouts – Season one, episode sixteen, What Needs to be Done Now: Eve of the Counterattack, Part 3.

I loved Jean in season one.
His character arc in that season was my favourite out of everyone’s.
He went from a coward who only wanted to join the Military Police so he could live safely in the interior, to the guy who joined the Survey Corps because it was the right thing to do.
His defining moment of the season though came in the 16th episode when he actually decided to join the Scouts.
After learning of his friend Marco’s death in the 13th episode, Jean was at a crossroads being unsure of what to do.
However, at the cremation of all the soldiers who lost their lives during the Titan invasion, Jean remembered Marco telling him he is a good leader because he knows what needs to be done.
This inspired Jean and in a heartfelt moment he declared to the other cadets that he intended to join the scouts before bursting into tears.
This is a very powerful moment for his character because we can see he is scared through how he had to grasp his shaking hand and repeat himself a few times before he could bring himself to tell the others his decision.
This moment showed that, despite his fear, Jean was willing to risk his life to do the right thing.
Jean was my favourite character of the first season and this scene really highlights why.

6. Advance!!! – Season two, episode 11, Charge.

I can distinctly remember screaming in horror when a Titan came out of nowhere and dragged Commander Erwin Smith away by the arm.
However, this screaming soon turned to cheering with one word: “ADVANCE!!!”
With a single word Erwin Smith became one of my favourite characters because he showed he was willing to sacrifice everything in order to save humanity.
I could not believe that he was putting the mission ahead of his own life like that but I thought it was an incredible way for him to die… only for him to survive.
Because a few minutes later Erwin was back fighting, with only one arm.
The he saved Eren’s life, once again, with only one arm.
If there is any moment of Attack on Titan that highlights Erwin’s character it is this one. It is one of the most awesome character moments of the entire series.

5. Eren’s reaction to Hannes’ death, Mikasa’s confession and the Coordinate reveal – Season two, episode twelve, Scream.

This scene marks a pretty huge achievement in my eyes.
I hated Eren in the first season of the show and yet this moment actually made me cry for him.
Watching Eren break down into a hysterical fit of tears and laughter, after the death of Hannes, was heartbreaking to watch and it only got better from here.
This is because, after Eren’s breakdown, Mikasa chose to confess her feelings for him.
I have never really been a fan of the idea of Eren and Mikasa getting together because Eren often acts like a jerk towards her and Mikasa seems to be obsessed with Eren rather than in love with him.
Just like the Historia scene though, this moment changed my perception of their relationship as this was a beautiful moment portrayed with great voice acting from both Yuki Kaiji and Yui Ishikawa.
If we get more scenes like this between the two of them in season three I might actually get on board with their relationship, although if they act like it never happened I will not.
Finally there is Eren’s Coordinate abilities being revealed right after Mikasa’s confession, which brings new hope to the series and combines with everything else to make this all a truly memorable moment.

4. Deaths of the Levi Squad – Season one, episode 21, Crushing Blow.

This was the first time I actually shouted at my TV screen when watching Attack on Titan.
Prior to this I had felt sad about some of the deaths in the show but none had made me feel like I had been punched in the gut afterwards.
The deaths of the Levi Squad, consisting of Oruo, Petra, Eld and Gunther, changed that with three of them dying in the span of two minutes.
First there is Gunther, killed during the ending moments of episode 20 by Annie in human form.
In the very next episode the remaining Levi Squad tried to kill the Female Titan only for her to kill Eld, Petra and Oruo in quick succession thus putting an end to the Levi Squad.
This moment had me screaming at the screen for the characters to get out of there as they were quickly killed one by one and left me feeling emotionally drained.
Their deaths were not quickly forgotten either, with the very next episode dealing with the effects their deaths would have as we got to see all of their families wait for their arrival, some with a feeling of dread and others with no idea their loved ones had been killed.
The deaths of the Levi Squad are the most gut wrenching of the series so far, but this is Attack on Titan so sadly I think we will get more of these kinds of deaths in season three.

3. Eren transforms into a Titan to fight Annie – Season one, episode 24, Mercy.

Attack on Titan has a lot of transformations but this is one of my favourites.
Everything in this scene just combines to make a truly epic moment.
In this scene, Eren was struggling to accept Annie’s identity as the Female Titan and this lead to him being crushed and impaled by rubble as Annie desperately tried to capture him.
However, remembering the deaths of his mother and the Levi Squad and Mikasa’s words to him about “a cruel world”, Eren was able to accept what needed to be done and impaled himself further on the rubble to begin his transformation.
This emotional moment lead into the epic transformation where the music exploded into a grand crescendo with the OST Attack on Titan.
The use of this OST really sold the scene and the visuals work all the better because it did not actually show the transformation, just the lightening generated by it, along with how the characters reacted to the transformation.
All of this built up and up until Eren rushed at Annie in his Titan form and punched her through a church.
This scene is the very definition of epic and never fails to get me excited every time I watch it.

2. Ymir’s backstory flashback – Season two, episode ten, Children.

I mentioned earlier, that season two did a fantastic job of turning forgettable characters into some of my favourites and a prime example of this is Ymir.
In season one she was not even a character but a trope of the typical mean girl who insults everyone.
So I was absolutely blown away with her character development in the second season and I think there could be a reasonable argument that this second second is her story.
The scene that really established her as one of my favourite characters was the flashback that revealed her backstory in episode ten, Children.
This is the greatest flashback I have ever seen.
Not only does it tell you almost everything you need to know about Ymir but it also gives major hints as to what is really going on.
I think I have actually figured out some of the things that are going to be revealed in the future of the show because of the hints given here.
I see more hints in this flashback every time I watch it.
Best of all though is what this flashback does for Ymir.
The moment when Ymir turns back into a human and realizes that she is now free to live the life she wants is the most powerful moment of the entire series and was the first time I cried during Attack on Titan.
This is helped once again by the fantastic music, with the OST Call of Silence, which is not just an amazing song but the lyrics also say a lot about Ymir as well.
This flashback made Ymir one of my favourite characters.
I am so glad it was added as this stage in the anime as I have been told this flashback comes much later in the manga.

1. Bertholdt and Reiner are revealed as the Colossal and Armoured Titans – Season two, episode six, Warrior.

If number two was my favourite flashback of all time then number one is one of my favourite, if not my absolute favourite, twist of all time.
The reveal that Reiner had been the Armoured Titan and Bertholdt was the Colossal Titan the entire time was not only shocking but incredibly handled as well.
The way it is revealed has to be the most nonchalant twist reveal of all time.
Out of the blue Reiner just confesses to Eren that they are the Titans who started all this like it is no big deal.
I had to watch this scene a second time to make sure I had not misread the subtitles.
It completely subverts expectations but in the best of ways.
The moments following this confession are also stellar as in a flashback the show pieces together all the hints of Reiner and Bertholdt being Titans from prior episodes.
What follows is the best transformation of the entire series as one of the flags atop the wall is blown away, prompting the two’s transformation.
Did I mention that Attack on Titan had some incredible OSTs?
Well, I will say it again because the OST they chose for this transformation, YouSeeBIGGIRL/T:T, is absolutely perfect for the moment.
This is not only because it is a great song but also because it is a different version of the song played when Eren’s mother was killed in the very first episode and, given that Reiner and Bertholdt are responsible for her death, this makes the placement of this OST here absolutely brilliant.
The reveal also left an amazing cliffhanger for the audience as to what would happen in episode seven.
I consider this to be the best moment in all of Attack on Titan because of how brilliantly the twist is revealed, the insane things that happen following the reveal, and the genius use of music.
The Reiner and Bertholdt twist really highlights why I love Attack on Titan.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado is realistic and disturbing.

When I first heard about the Sicario sequel I was concerned that it would take the realistic elements of the first film and turn it into an overblown action flick.
Thankfully, however, that is not was happened because Sicario: Day of the Soldado sticks to its realism in a gritty and rather disturbing manner.
Directed by Stephano Sollima this time and once again written by Taylor Sheridan, the film follows the sicario Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro) and agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) as they try to start a cartel war after these cartels are labeled as terrorist organisations by the United States government.
What follows is a complicated, yet enthralling story that, while not as good as the first, delivers a chilling story that highlights the mortality of what these characters are doing.
The opening scene alone is very disturbing and not for the faint of heart as the film fully displays how innocents are so often caught up in terrorism and acts of war.
Emily Blunt is absent from this film because, according to Cinema Blend, Sollima said he prefers “not to have a moral guidance for the audience.”
This leaves Alejandro as the main character and del Toro once again delivers a fantastic performance as the chilling sicario.

Benicio Del Toro — “Adios”, Alejandro declares as he brutally shoots a cartel member multiple times.

Brolin also does a great job as agent Graver, making it three great performances he has given this year including Thanos and Cable.
This film is also brimming with tension and the violence is super realistic, especially in the final moments.
Sicario: Day of the Soldado is not completely perfect, however, because the story does change half way through.
I personally did not find this change in story to be that jarring but I can also see how other people would.
Another problem had to do with how the character of Isabela (Isabela Moner) was treated by Alejandro.
Alejandro serves as her protector in this film but, given what I know about him from the first Sicario, I find it highly unlikely that he would want to protect this girl and that he would actually want her dead.
It just felt like a big plot hole to me.

alejandro and isabela — Alejandro wanting to protect Isabela did not make sense to me because of what I knew about both characters.

Overall though, Sicario: Day of the Soldado was still a very good film with great performances and disturbing elements of realism.
Just be be prepared for the switch in story and you will have a good time with it.

Attack on Titan: Signal of the Counterattack features the worst adaptation I have ever seen.

I just watched the three part miniseries Attack on Titan: Signal of the Counterattack, which is a part of the Attack on Titan Japanese live action movies.
When I started watching these episodes I thought they would be bad but I had no idea they would be worse than the live action films.
They were terribly acted, boring and one of the episodes was the worst adaptation I have ever seen and made me feel insulted as an Attack on Titan fan.
So I will now take you through each episode and why I found them to be so atrocious.

Episode 1: The Strike Back Begins

When I read the synopsis for this episode, I thought it might actually be good because it starred Hans (Satomi Ishihara), the adaptation’s version of Hange, who was one of the few good things about the live action films.
Yet, somehow, this episode managed to ruin her character for me.
Just because something works in anime does not mean it will work in live action and the portrayal of Hans in this episode is a testament to that.
I found Ishihara’s performance here to be laughably terrible, which unfortunately goes the same for the other actors in this episode.
This episode is also terribly shot with time lapse shots that may work for a documentary but not a fictional TV series.
On top of this, there is a moment that blatantly contradicts the continuity of the live action films.
Hans shows that the Titans cannot move at night but we saw them move at night in the first film.
While this change is more in line with the anime if you set something up in your version you have to continue with it because otherwise it destroys all continuity.
This episode is a mess, with the only enjoyment coming out of its laughably bad performances.

Episode 2: The Arrow of Hope

With the most cringe worthy title of all three episodes, if I could describe The Arrow of Hope in one word it would be “boring”.
This episode focuses on the character of Sasha’s (Nanami Sakuraba) backstory and at no point did I even remotely care about what was happening.
I did not care about Sasha’s dog, I did not care about her catching the food thieves, I did not care about Han’s involvement.
The story telling was that bad.
Along with this, Sasha’s character is, just like in the films, butchered in comparison with the manga and anime.
Her only character traits in this is that she is obsessed with food and is an expert with the bow and arrow.
Sasha’s character was so much more than this in the source material and the jokes they use surrounding her character here do not work at all, once again unlike the source material.
They basically made her a Katniss Everdeen wannabe in this version.
Much like the previous episode, this one is also terribly shot with a point of view shot from Sasha’s dog being particularly atrocious.
Then there is the cringe factor, with so many scenes that made me groan.
The way Sasha’s bow and arrow skills completely defy physics and her literally making heart eyes at someone were the worst moments of the episode.
There is just nothing enjoyable in this episode.
It is completely boring from start to finish.

Episode 3: The Departure of Freedom

Coming into this episode I expected it to be bad.
What I did not expect was for it to be one of the most torturous experiences I have ever had watching any form of media.
The Departure of Freedom is not just a terrible episode but the worst adaptation I have had the displeasure of seeing.
It is so atrocious that it makes The Last Airbender and Dragonball Evolution look like cinematic gold.
This episode basically focuses on the budding romance between Fukushi (Shu Watanabe) and Lil (Rina Takeda), two characters from the first film.
They are based off Hanna and Franz from the source material, who were minor characters and did not need an entire episode like this focused on them.
You remember the saying, “still a better love story than Twilight”?
Well, this love story actually manages to succeed in being worse than Twilight, and that is saying a lot.
There entire relationship starts with Lin almost beating Fukushi to death, how is that for romantic?
Them falling in love is so unbelievable and stupid.
It goes from them trying to kill each other to them being head over heels in love in seconds.
For the third time, this episode is shot terribly as there is way too much slow motion.
This is a 41 minute episode and if you were to remove all the slow motion scenes then the episode would be cut by at least 20 minutes.
This shows the people who made this had no idea what they were doing and were trying to just fill in time by using slow motion.
CGI is also used in this film and it is atrocious and completely unnecessary.
However, the reason why I consider this to be the worst adaptation ever is the comedy.
About half way through this episode I realised it was not meant to be taken seriously but that does not excuse the fact that adapting Attack on Titan as a comedy with incredibly unfunny cringe humor is completely insulting to any fan of the source material.
There are two women in this film who for some dumb reason are dressed in skimpy outfits while in the military who provide the worst joke in the entire episode.
When one of the soldiers insults their superior officer one of these women glares at her with the the most over the top frown and kissing face and her eyes rolling into the back of her head.
I laughed so hard at this, and not because it was funny but, because I could not believe they were actually doing this.
The final fifteen minutes of the episode delves into a complete cringe fest with some of the most juvenile humor I have ever seen and I hated every minute of it.
This episode was absolute agony to watch.
They took the dark and compelling story of Attack on Titan and changed it into a cringe fueled comedy with no humor whatsoever.
Avoid this episode like the plague.

I don’t know how they managed it but somehow this live action miniseries was 1000 times worse than the live action Attack on Titan movies.
The episodes were laughably bad, cringe worthy, boring and had one of the most insulting adaptions of an original work ever.
I am only thankful that I have finished watching these adaptations and therefore never have to see them again.