It’s been a while since the first season of Attack of the Titans began. Here are 10 things you may have forgotten since the series’ first episode.
The Attack of the Titans anime was consistently brutal from start to finish, but the series has evolved considerably since its first episode. Eren and his friends have still been battling the same creatures since day one, but they’ve come a long way since the fall of Shiganshina.
For fans delving back into the anime’s early days, it may come as a surprise to see how different Eren, Armin and Mikasa were as children. By rewatching the episode entitled “For You, 2,000 Years From Now: The Fall of Shiganshina, Part 1”, fans will also have the opportunity to notice some small details that may not have been so obvious on their first viewing. Here are a few things viewers have probably forgotten since the series’ first season.
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10. Eren’s dream
The first episode of Attack of the Titans opens with Eren’s disturbing dream, as he awakens to find Mikasa preoccupied at his side. The dream’s flashes suggest he’s peering into the future, with a glimpse of the impending devastation caused by the Titans.
This may seem an insignificant detail. However, given Eren’s ability to access untapped memories, as well as Falco’s dream in the fourth season which seems to deliberately reflect this, it may be worth paying closer attention to on a repeat viewing.
9. Indifference to the Titans
After four seasons of uninterrupted war between humans and Titans, it’s hard to remember that Eren and his friends lived in a relatively peaceful world. Even though they were confined within the walls, most of the inhabitants of the Shiganshina district went about their lives as if man-eating monsters didn’t surround them.
Even the Garrison wasn’t particularly concerned about the Titans. They spent their days drinking and having fun. Fans can attest to this when Eren and Mikasa meet Hannes in the first episode. Hannes even goes so far as to say that they can afford to relax because times are good – words he’ll probably regret later.
8. The desperation of the Exploration Battalion soldiers
The Attack of the Titans anime is generally dark. However, the members of the Exploration Battalion that fans follow throughout the series have a more optimistic view of their situation than those who appear in the first episode. It’s not that they’re inherently more optimistic, but they seem to be much more motivated to defeat the Titans and change the world.
This is because the army is better prepared to take on the Titans after the time jump that followed the fall of Shiganshina. They have more information on these creatures and better weapons to fight them. In addition, Commander Erwin brings a unique leadership style to the Exploration Battalion. The soldiers in the first episode didn’t benefit from this style, as Erwin wasn’t their leader at the time.
7. Mikasa’s resistance to the Exploration Battalion
It’s no secret that Eren’s mother never wanted him to join the Exploration Battalion regiment. However, after four seasons in which he and Mikasa have served with the group, it’s easy to forget that Mikasa was also opposed to his dream at the start of the series.
In the first episode, she even goes so far as to report him to his parents, perhaps hoping they’ll change his mind or push him in another direction. After losing her home and family, it seems that Mikasa has accepted her fate and devoted herself to it body and soul, almost as much as Eren.
6. Talking about life outside was sacrilege.
When fans first meet Armin, he’s manhandled by a group of boys who accuse him of sacrilege. Later, when Eren asks him what happened, he admits to talking about life outside the walls – something that seemed punishable before the Titans invaded the Shiganshina district.
This seems a far cry from the actual timeline of Attack of the Titans, where Eren and his friends managed to discover and travel to places beyond the walls. It’s even a huge departure from seasons 2 and 3, in which the soldiers were actively trying to reclaim their land from the Titans. With such an emphasis on reclaiming the outer lands, it’s hard to believe these characters couldn’t even mention such a thing in episode 1.
5. Armin didn’t believe in violence
Armin may have had a broader vision than anyone at the start of Attack of the Titans, but he certainly didn’t have the will or desire to fight for survival. Not only is he adamantly opposed to violence in episode 1, but he’s also too scared to follow Eren and Mikasa as they run home during the Titan invasion. It’s clear that Armin’s character has come a long way.
The anime went to great lengths to emphasize Armin’s development – and the sacrifices he had to make to help the Eldian people survive – but fans might not remember how different he was in the first episode.
4. The Colossal Titan’s perfect timing
Once the Colossal Titan appeared and destroyed the wall, Attack of the Titans became chaotic, with hundreds of people seeking protection from the threat. With so much going on, it’s unlikely that fans will give much thought to the timing of this event, but the appearance of the Titan Colossal is definitely worth marveling at.
It’s amazing to think that the Colossal takes down the wall just as Eren and Armin are discussing the fact that a Titan invasion is inevitable. It’s almost as if they had anticipated the fall of Shiganshina.
3. Hannes was repaying a debt
All Attack of the Titans fans remember how Eren and Mikasa managed to escape the Shiganshina district alive in the first episode, thanks to Hannes. However, they may not have realized that Hannes had thus repaid a debt by saving the series’ main characters, which he mentions when he charges the Titan that ends up devouring Eren’s mother.
“It’s time to repay this debt,” he declares, alluding to the fact that he has a “debt” to Grisha Jäger. It’s an aspect the series later explores, revealing that Grisha saved Hannes’ life, and this debt continues to motivate him to the end.
2. Carla Jäger’s last sentence
One of the most heartbreaking moments in “À toi, dans 2000 ans – La Chute de Shiganshina : Partie 1” is when Hannes decides to listen to Carla’s pleas, take Eren and Mikasa and save them rather than worry about her. Even though this is exactly what Carla asks, there’s a brief moment after they leave where she whispers the words “Don’t leave me” into his hand.
This is the first in a series of moments in Attack of the Titans that highlight the humanity of the anime’s characters. It’s a clever addition to the scene, and makes you feel Carla’s compassion in her final moments, almost as much as Eren’s.
1. Armin’s narration
Attack of the Titans doesn’t usually have narration during its episodes, but the first episode ends with Armin talking about what happened, apparently from the future. “And all of a sudden, everything changed,” he declares, referring to humanity as cattle.
This is an interesting addition, especially considering the title of the first episode, which suggests there’s someone telling this story to someone in the future. No word yet on whether this narration will make a return in the Attack of the Titans series finale, but it does suggest that Armin could be the one to pass on his comrades’ tales in some way.
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