Attack on Titan Season 3 Episode 17 Recap – Hero

Retribution

Erwin directs his suicidal charge and gets dismounted by the Beasts‘ first volley alongside many others. Marlo continues the charge in his stead, and the newly recruited Scouts yell their battle cry as they approach their doom.

The Beast Titan watches in regret seeing the Scouts offer their lives to King Reiss‘ manipulation. As he shoots the second volley, Marlo orders another shot of smoke signals. He wonders about Hitch‘s whereabouts as he falls to his death.

The Beast Titan celebrates as his next blow lands, but another wave of Scouts charges at him with their screams. He shoots them down once more and finds it pitiful how they all sacrificed themselves, but then he notices that the Titans beside him have all fallen.

Levi hooks into his shoulder and weaves through his arm. The Beast Titan remembers Reiner‘s warning about a dangerous soldier named Levi, who blinds his eyes and cuts his hamstrings. Levi then goes for the nape and slices off the Beast‘s human form, cutting off his limbs in the process.

Levi regrets not having to kill him yet and wonders if there are still survivors amongst the Scouts who can turn into a Titan to devour the Beast‘s powers. Suddenly, the Cart Titan arrives and takes the Beast to escape to the Walls. They then direct the rest of the Titans to attack Levi. Even with limbs cut off, the Beast declares victory in their favor.

Levi doesn‘t accept it as he made a promise to Erwin and kills the remaining Titans.

Sacrifice and Deception

A recruit named Floch stands up from the field of dead Scouts, wondering how he‘s still alive. He waddles back and looks for anyone else who survived.

Jean and the others are confronted by what to do with the Colossal and Armored Titans. Armin then figures out that the Colossal has gotten thinner. If Hange‘s findings were right, the Colossal should be draining its energy reserves fast. He concocts a plan to have Jean and the others fight Reiner while he and Eren face Bertholdt.

Armin moves up the wall to wake Eren up, reminding him of their dream to explore the seas.

Jean and the others distract Reiner, but he ignores them and runs straight to the Wall. Mikasa pursues him and shoots a spear at his knee, taking him down.

Bertholdt faces Armin and Eren, knowing that he has the upper hand against the latter Titan, who’s already beat up.

Armin assures Eren that he’ll distract Bertholdt only for as long as he can survive, since he isn‘t some kind of hero. He reminds him to hold out for as long as they can until they could succeed. With a small blunder, Eren slips and falls to the ground.

Hero

Bertholdt sees the end and is determined to finish it once and for all. He slaps down on Armin‘s position. Armin evades and latches on to his neck. Bertholdt fires steam on Armin, but his grappling hook latches on.

Jean and the others have three spears left, so they have to make it count. Connie and Sasha attack with Jean acting as decoy, but only Connie‘s spear lands on Reiner‘s jaw. Mikasa‘s last spear is their only hope, but Hange steps in and fires into Reiner‘s other side. Mikasa uses this opportunity to fire her spear at Reiner‘s open mouth.

Bertholdt wonders if this is their real plan, seeing that Eren is still down below, unmoving. Armin‘s body burns off, but he refuses to give up. Fire engulfs him and he finally breaks away. Bertholdt thought he won, but finds Eren‘s Titan has hardened and plugged off the wall.

Eren then appears behind him using ODM gear and cuts him off. He drags Bertholdt‘s limp body towards Armin‘s burnt body, knowing all along that his friend is a hero.

Our Thoughts

The show keeps throwing answers at us that are hard to predict, and the consistency of it is insane. Rating: 4.5/5.