Attack On Titan Season 1 Episode 13 Recap – Primal Desire: The Struggle for Trost, Part 9

Hope

Huddled inside a building with a titan outside, Jean devises a plan to escape using a fallen soldier’s ODM gear. He makes a run for it when the titan turns its back but struggles with a malfunction in the replacement’s belt. Marco then comes in to lure the titan to him while Connie and Annie support him from behind. Jean fumbles as it turns out that his replacement is defective as well. Thankfully, Annie saves him from a close call with a titan, and all of them manage to return to the wall.

Rico and her squad face difficulty as she loses soldiers from the growing number of titans coming inside.

The tide changes as they see the boulder lifted from the ground, held by no other than Eren’s titan. Armin runs to Mikasa to report that he’s recovered. Ian then calls for everyone to support and protect him even if it causes their lives. Victory is at hand.

Jean and the others also do the same on their end. Ian sees the other squad from Mitabi’s team lure the titans on foot, so they reinforce them while Ian and Mikasa are assigned to keep tabs on Eren.

Fight

Eren’s body feels like it’s breaking from the boulder’s weight as he sees his friends turned into bait below him. He remembers the dream of exploring the outside world and the longing to live free. Everyone has been denying them the greatest freedom the world has to offer, so he strives to fight no matter how terrifying their world may be.

Ian falls from the ensuing struggle while Rico and Mikasa clear the way for Eren. Eren makes a final roar as he puts down the boulder and seals the wall. Rico cries and tells everyone that their deaths aren’t in vain. She signals the yellow flare for victory, and Pyxis sends reinforcements to rescue the elite squad.

Titans are still coming toward Eren, so Armin and Mikasa scramble to take his body back. Thankfully, Levi arrives and kills the two looming threats. Eren sees the insignia on his back, the wings of freedom from the Scout Regiment. Levi looks back and asks them what’s going on.

Thanks to the Scouts and Garrison Regiment, they manage to destroy the remaining titans inside Trost with cannon fire. The scouts mopped out the few that remained. They also managed to capture two titans alive. Around 200 soldiers were dead or missing, with another 900 injured. Although this was their first victory, no one had the stomach to celebrate after such losses.

While cleaning up the streets, Jean finds Marco’s body lying dead on the streets, half of him severed by a titan attack. He can’t believe it and wonders if anyone saw how he died. A nearby nurse asks for his name, stating they cannot afford an epidemic.

Promise

On one side, Sasha finds a massive pile of dead bodies vomited from a titan’s mouth. On another, Annie apologizes to the deceased, and Reiner tells her they have no time for that. They must prepare for the funeral.

Eren wakes up in a cell facing Commander Erwin and Captain Levi of the Scout Regiment. He’s currently in the dungeons and under the custody of the Military Police.

Erwin shows him the key from his necklace. He asks about Dr. Jaeger’s basement in Shiganshina and the secrets that supposedly lie there. Eren assures him that it’s all true, but Levi is suspicious. Erwin assures him that the boy has no reason to lie. What he wants to know are his intentions.

To take back Shiganshina, they’ll have to use his powers as a titan again. Eren tells him about his dream of joining the scouts to slaughter all the titans he sees. Impressed, Levi volunteers to take responsibility for him.

Our Thoughts

Our conclusion to the first arc is nothing short of EPIC. Rating: 4.5/5