Attack on Titan isn't just a story, it's a journey that will trap you as soon as you start the very first episode. The anime is known for its shocking reveals and plot twists that will make you question everything happening up until that point.
While every episode contributes to the anime brilliantly, some episodes are so iconic and climactic that they are forever etched in the minds of fans. These episodes have been built up to since the start, and they completely alter the course of the plot in major ways or serve as the emotional climax of multiple seasons.
Beware of spoilers from almost all the seasons of the show!
10 From You 2000 Years Ago – Season 4, Episode 21
The Tale Of Ymir Fritz, The First Titan Shifter
This episode is like peeling back the layers of an onion, revealing the dark and twisted origins of the titans and the tragic tale of The Founder, Ymir Fritz. It showcases some heavy stuff, showing how her suffering led to the creation of the titans and the cycle of hatred that plagued the world for centuries.
It's a lot to unpack, but it's crucial for understanding the core of the series and Eren's motivations that eventually lead to The Rumbling. And it just so happens to paint the picture so well that it’s considered one of the best flashbacks in anime.
9 Scream – Season 2, Episode 12
Whatever Can Go Wrong, Goes Wrong In This One
Season Two's finale is about confronting the titans that started it all. It's a tense, emotional rollercoaster and one of the best anime episodes you’ll ever watch. The Survey Corps' attempt to save Eren from being kidnapped by the Armored and the Colossal Titans has gone horribly wrong, resulting in heavy casualties and a devastating blow to morale.
Some of the best moments of this season are in this episode, like Erwin’s scream for his soldiers to advance despite being caught in a titan’s mouth, the return of the smiling titan, Mikasa’s conversation with Eren and finally, the true power of The Founder being revealed.
8 Warrior – Season 2, Episode 6
Such A Casual Reveal That Shakes The Foundations Of The Show
Warrior was a betrayal and plot twist like no other in anime. Reiner and Bertholdt, two trusted comrades, are revealed to be the Colossal and Armored Titans who destroyed Shiganshina years ago, in one of the most casual conversation-like reveals ever.
The emotional impact is devastating, leaving Eren, Hange, Mikasa, Armin, and all the viewers reeling from the shock. This episode is a major turning point in the series, as we’re finally given hints as to what to expect from a world outside Paradis. Though season two was the shortest of them all, it was an overwhelming experience from start to finish.
7 Two Brothers – Season 4, Episode 19
Action Packed Titan Fights That Were Long Overdue
Two Brothers is a rollercoaster of emotions as it’s the culmination of years of built-up tension between Marley and Paradis. Zeke and Eren have wildly different visions for the future of their people, but they have to work together to figure it all out.
Their ideologies and their race to control the Founding Titan leave us in constant suspense. Almost all the storylines reach a conclusion in this episode, like Falco inheriting the jaw titan, and the rematch of Eren against Reiner. And just when you think the dust has settled, Gabi's headshot decapitates Eren right at the end, giving us one of the greatest cliffhangers in anime.
6 Memories Of The Future – Season 4, Episode 20
The Timeloop Reveal That Changes Everything
You have to watch Memories of the Future twice to understand what’s going on. It’s a mind-bending trip through time and memory, revealing the true extent of Eren's manipulation and the horrifying truth behind his motivations. We see the memories Zeke and Eren have of their father while they’re both trying to prove a point to the other.
The revelations in this episode turn everything on its head though, when you realize that Eren can manipulate events in the past thanks to his titan, forcing Grisha to steal The Founder. It’s one of those really devastating reveals that you will constantly think about for days after the episode ends.
5 Midnight Sun – Season 3, Episode 18
Only One Of The Two Geniuses Can Survive
The Survey Corps has just achieved a hard-fought victory against the Beast Titan, but the cost has been devastating. The episode centers around a desperate choice: who to save with the last dose of Titan sSerum, the gravely injured Erwin or Armin?
The emotional intensity is on another level as Levi grapples with this impossible decision, while Eren and Mikasa fight as hard as they can for their friend's life. The emotional climax is well worth the runtime of one of the saddest episodes of the series.
4 That Day – Season 3, Episode 20
The Backstory We Needed, To Understand Everything So Far
That Day peels back the curtain on the dark past of Marley and the Eldians from the perspective of Eren’s father, Grisha Yeager. It reveals bits and pieces of the Eldian’s past and the generations of oppression that fueled the cycle of hatred and began the story with Grisha’s sister’s death.
It's a heavy episode with emotional gut punches, and it forces you to question everything you thought you knew about the world of Attack on Titan. It gives you the final piece of the puzzle and reveals just how little we knew about this anime.
3 The Warhammer Titan – Season 4, Episode 6
Straight Up Spectacularly Animated
The introductory episode of Season Four of Attack on Titan takes us away from Paradis and throws us into Marley, where we get a jaw-dropping introduction to a brand-new Titan with powers unlike anything we've seen before.
The Warhammer Titan is a titan encased in hardened crystal and wields a massive warhammer as well as other weapons it can make with its mind. This episode is a visual masterpiece, showcasing the titan's unique abilities and the struggle of the Survey Corps to overcome this new threat as well as fighting Marley all out.
2 Declaration Of War – Season 4, Episode 5
The Music, The Speech, The Conversation, And The Ending, All Perfectly Crafted
This episode is a powder keg of tension and political intrigue that is about to blow up. Willy Tybur's chilling speech exposes the truth about the Great Titan War and sets the stage for an all-out global conflict against Paradis, contrasted with Reiner and Eren’s conversation underneath the stage.
The atmosphere is thick with anticipation, and you just can’t tell what Eren’s intentions are at that moment. And just when you think it couldn't get any more intense, Eren's surprise attack on Marley throws everything into chaos as he eats Willy Tyber and officially starts the war.
1 Hero – Season 3, Episode 17
Levi Spins Like A Beyblade And Obliterates The Beast Titan
In an absolutely hopeless scenario, the Survey Corps is all but wiped out thanks to the Beast Titan’s throwing game. But out of nowhere, Captain Levi shows up and destroys him, embarrassing the Beast Titan by making him fall to his knees without much effort. Just the way the entire fight is animated makes it a top moment in the anime.
But at its core, the episode is a tribute to Armin Arlert, the hero who is ready to burn alive in order to save humanity. After multiple seasons of development, the Survey Corp finally wins against the titan shifters who attacked them all those years ago, but at what cost?
